This review explores the epidemiology, heritability, and allelic architecture of sudden cardiac death, detailing the genetics of inherited electrophysiological and structural heart diseases.
S udden cardiac death (SCD) is the final common end point of multiple disease processes. It results from a complex interplay of structural, metabolic, and genetic determinants. Although epidemiological risk factors such as age, prior myocardial infarction, and low ejection fraction are well established, this syndrome also has a strong genetic component. An understanding of the genetic contributions to risk could add substantially to the prediction and prevention of SCD. In this review, we explore the epidemiology, heritability, and allelic architecture of SCD and provide a detailed overview of the genetics of inherited electrophysiological and structural heart diseases that are potent risk factors for SCD.
Noseworthy et al. (Mon,) conducted a review in Sudden cardiac death. This review explores the epidemiology, heritability, and allelic architecture of sudden cardiac death, detailing the genetics of inherited electrophysiological and structural heart diseases.