Recent advances in genetic sequencing, computational modeling, and induced pluripotent stem cell technologies are improving the understanding of sudden cardiac death mechanisms to enable earlier detection and prevention.
This review underscores the growing utility of molecular autopsies, next-generation sequencing, and patient-derived iPSC models in elucidating the mechanisms of sudden cardiac death in the young to improve early detection and prevention.
There have been tremendous advances in the diagnosis and treatment of heart disease over the last 50 years. Nevertheless, it remains the number one cause of death. About half of heart-related deaths occur suddenly, and in about half of these cases the person was unaware that they had underlying heart disease. Genetic heart disease accounts for only approximately 2% of sudden cardiac deaths, but as it typically occurs in younger people it has been a particular focus of activity in our quest to not only understand the underlying mechanisms of cardiac arrhythmogenesis but also develop better strategies for earlier detection and prevention. In this brief review, we will highlight trends in the recent literature focused on sudden cardiac death in genetic heart diseases and how these studies are contributing to a broader understanding of sudden death in the community.
Vandenberg et al. (2017) conducted a review in Sudden cardiac death. Recent advances in genetic sequencing, computational modeling, and induced pluripotent stem cell technologies are improving the understanding of sudden cardiac death mechanisms to enable earlier detection and prevention.