Preventing sudden cardiac death through gene sequencing
Each year, sudden cardiac death affects 220,000 U.S. adults, most of whom have no prior symptoms of a heart issue. By identifying rare DNA variants that substantially increase risk of sudden cardiac death, researchers led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard have laid the foundation for efforts to identify individuals who could benefit from prevention strategies before they experience symptoms. The scientists also determined that such variants are present in approximately 1 percent of asymptomatic adults — corresponding to 3 million people in the United States. The findings are presented at the Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association and published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. The authors performed gene sequencing in 600 adult-onset sudden cardiac death cases and 600 controls who remained healthy — the largest such study performed to date and first to use a control group. A clinical geneticist reviewed all of the...