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Published: Sunday, January 12, 2003
Widow urges tests for heart ailment
Thickening of heart claims life of popular Edmonds grocery manager
By Bill Sheets
For The Herald
EDMONDS -- Linda Rodriguez would love it if no one else ever had to die the way her husband did.
Heart information
For more on hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, see www.4hcm.org.
Jorge Rodriguez died at age 35 of a rare heart disorder he and his wife didn't even know about.
"It disturbs me how many people might be walking around with this wrong with them," Linda Rodriguez said.
Jorge Rodriguez was a popular store manager at the Top Foods in Edmonds. In the early morning hours of Oct. 25, Jorge Rodriguez was working the late shift when he was found unconscious.
He died of cardiac arrest, apparently from a heart condition known as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The condition is characterized by excessive thickening of the heart muscle without apparent cause.
After learning about the cause of her husband's death, his wife began studying up on disease.
It's genetic, it takes a special test to detect it, and it can have symptoms not unique to the disease, according to the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association Web site, www.4hcm.org.
There is no known cure, but drugs can lessen its effects, and in more advanced cases surgery, pacemakers and implanted defibrillators may be used.
Hope for the future centers around research on ways to detect the gene and treating individuals who have it to prevent the development of hypertrophy, according to the association.
Rodriguez hopes anyone with symptoms will get tested for the disease.
"It's been very difficult losing him," she said.
Employees say many customers have noticed Rodriguez's absence. He had worked there for nearly six years. His photo remains on the wall for winning grocery manager of the quarter.
About 280 people attended his funeral, his wife said.
Jorge Rodriguez did have some health issues, having been partially paralyzed on his right side, his wife said, adding he was 6 feet 2 inches and 270 pounds, but mostly healthy.
"I can tell you he was a fantastic guy," said Julie Burke, who worked with Rodriguez.
"He would go out of his way to help anybody," perishables store manager Everett Christman said.
Widow urges tests for heart ailment
Thickening of heart claims life of popular Edmonds grocery manager
By Bill Sheets
For The Herald
EDMONDS -- Linda Rodriguez would love it if no one else ever had to die the way her husband did.
Heart information
For more on hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, see www.4hcm.org.
Jorge Rodriguez died at age 35 of a rare heart disorder he and his wife didn't even know about.
"It disturbs me how many people might be walking around with this wrong with them," Linda Rodriguez said.
Jorge Rodriguez was a popular store manager at the Top Foods in Edmonds. In the early morning hours of Oct. 25, Jorge Rodriguez was working the late shift when he was found unconscious.
He died of cardiac arrest, apparently from a heart condition known as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The condition is characterized by excessive thickening of the heart muscle without apparent cause.
After learning about the cause of her husband's death, his wife began studying up on disease.
It's genetic, it takes a special test to detect it, and it can have symptoms not unique to the disease, according to the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association Web site, www.4hcm.org.
There is no known cure, but drugs can lessen its effects, and in more advanced cases surgery, pacemakers and implanted defibrillators may be used.
Hope for the future centers around research on ways to detect the gene and treating individuals who have it to prevent the development of hypertrophy, according to the association.
Rodriguez hopes anyone with symptoms will get tested for the disease.
"It's been very difficult losing him," she said.
Employees say many customers have noticed Rodriguez's absence. He had worked there for nearly six years. His photo remains on the wall for winning grocery manager of the quarter.
About 280 people attended his funeral, his wife said.
Jorge Rodriguez did have some health issues, having been partially paralyzed on his right side, his wife said, adding he was 6 feet 2 inches and 270 pounds, but mostly healthy.
"I can tell you he was a fantastic guy," said Julie Burke, who worked with Rodriguez.
"He would go out of his way to help anybody," perishables store manager Everett Christman said.