The future of sudden cardiac death research

Sudden unexplained death (SUD) in the young is a rare but tragic event. As genetic cardiac causes underlie the majority of SUD cases, surviving family members with the same genetic substrate as their deceased relative may be at increased risk. Presently, the diagnostic strategy to young SUD victims and their families is yet not standardized, the underlying aetiology in an important fraction of cases is still unravelled, and risk prediction in the genetically affected relatives is difficult due the variable expressivity of disease-causing mutations. In this review, we describe an ideal approach to SUD that is currently feasible but unfortunately not routinely followed in the clinical practice. We also discuss recent advancements in genetic technology and novel insights in the pathomechanism of genetic diseases that provide new opportunities for the future of sudden cardiac death research and management.