Scientists have found genes for sudden death from cardiac arrest

Scientists have found genes for sudden death from cardiac arrest
Scientists have found genes for sudden death from cardiac arrest
Anonim

The cause of sudden cardiac arrest may be genetic characteristics, researchers from the University of Maryland have found. The work was published in the journal JAMA Cardiology.

Hundreds of thousands of people die from sudden cardiac arrest every year - in the United States up to 450 thousand people, in Russia - 200-250 thousand. In more than 10% of cases, the cause of the arrest remains unknown. Assuming that the clue may lie in the genome, the authors of the work studied the genome of 413 patients who died on average at the age of 41 from sudden cardiac arrest, mostly men. In 18%, scientists found previously undetected genes associated with life-threatening arrhythmias or heart failure. However, none of them were diagnosed with these diseases. The autopsy also showed no signs of heart failure or blockages in the coronary arteries.

Genetic screening is not a popular diagnostic tool in cardiology. However, according to the researchers, screening for these genes could save many lives. However, it remains to be seen exactly how they are associated with the risk of cardiac arrest and what can be done to reduce it.

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