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Hot Topics of the Day are picked by experts to capture the latest information and publications on public health genomics and precision health for various diseases and health topics. Sources include published scientific literature, reviews, blogs and popular press articles.

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57 hot topic(s) found with the query "Sudden cardiac death"

An ECG-based artificial intelligence model for assessment of sudden cardiac death risk
L Holmstrom et al, Comm Med, February 2024 (Posted: Mar 03, 2024 10AM)

From the abstract: " Conventional ECG-based algorithms could contribute to sudden cardiac death (SCD) risk stratification but demonstrate moderate predictive capabilities. Deep learning (DL) models use the entire digital signal and could potentially improve predictive power. We aimed to train and validate a 12?lead ECG-based DL algorithm for SCD risk assessment. The DL model achieves an AUROC of 0.889 (95% CI 0.861–0.917) for the detection of SCD cases vs. controls in the internal held-out test dataset, and is successfully validated in external SCD cases with an AUROC of 0.820 (0.794–0.847). "

The burden of splice-disrupting variants in inherited heart disease and unexplained sudden cardiac death
ES Singer et al, NPJ Genomic Medicine, October 11, 2023 (Posted: Oct 11, 2023 4PM)

From the abstract: "We performed burden testing of rare splice-disrupting variants in people with inherited heart disease and sudden unexplained death compared to 125,748 population controls. ClinGen definitively disease-associated inherited heart disease genes were amplified using RNA extracted from fresh blood, derived cardiomyocytes, and myectomy tissue. Variants were functionally assessed and classified for pathogenicity. We found 88 in silico-predicted splice-disrupting variants in 128 out of 1242 (10.3%) unrelated participants. "

EMQN: Recommendations for genetic testing in inherited cardiomyopathies and arrhythmias
JB Hayesmoore et al. EJHG July 13, 2023 (Posted: Jul 14, 2023 1PM)

Inherited cardiomyopathies and arrhythmias (ICAs) are a prevalent and clinically heterogeneous group of genetic disorders that are associated with increased risk of sudden cardiac death and heart failure. Making a genetic diagnosis can inform the management of patients and their at-risk relatives and, as such, molecular genetic testing is now considered an integral component of the clinical care pathway. However, ICAs are characterised by high genetic and allelic heterogeneity, incomplete / age-related penetrance, and variable expressivity.

CRISPR gene-editing therapies for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
Alanna Strong et al. Nature medicine 2023 2 (Posted: Feb 17, 2023 6AM)

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a primary cardiac disorder characterized by abnormal heart muscle thickening and caused by heterozygous pathogenic variants in genes encoding sarcomeric proteins. HCM often presents during young adulthood and can progress to heart failure, arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death. Pre-symptomatic gene editing in preclinical models of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy shows therapeutic promise; clinical studies are now needed to assess safety and efficacy in humans.

Family History of Sudden Cardiac Death in the Young and Inherited Arrhythmia Syndromes: Awareness and Attitudes of General Practitioners and Private Practice Cardiologists.
Flavia Piciacchia et al. Circulation. Genomic and precision medicine 2023 1 (Posted: Jan 31, 2023 8AM)

Using AI to predict future cardiac arrest
K O'Leary, Nature Medicine, April 14, 2022 (Posted: Apr 18, 2022 9AM)

Sudden cardiac death from arrhythmia (SCDA) is a leading cause of mortality worldwide, especially among people with heart disease. Although implantable devices can effectively prevent SCDA, assessment tools for identifying those at risk are hugely inadequate. A new study developed a machine-learning model for predicting SCDA risk (at all times up to 10 years) in people with ischemic heart disease. The model uses neural networks that learn from scarring patterns on magnetic resonance images and from clinical covariates. It was developed and tested on an internal cohort (N = 156) and an external multi-center cohort (N = 113), and was shown to outperform current risk-prediction models.

Racial Disparities in Ion Channelopathies and Inherited Cardiovascular Diseases Associated With Sudden Cardiac Death
M Chahine et al, May 2022 (Posted: Mar 06, 2022 7AM)

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) continues to be the most common cause of death worldwide, and cardiac arrhythmias account for approximately one half of these deaths. The morbidity and mortality from CVD have been reduced significantly over the past few decades; however, disparities in racial or ethnic populations still exist. This review is based on available literature to date and focuses on known cardiac channelopathies and other inherited disorders associated with sudden cardiac death in African American/Black subjects and the role of epigenetics in phenotypic manifestations of CVD, and illustrates existing disparities in treatment and outcomes. The review also highlights the knowledge gaps that limit understanding of the manifestation of phenotypic abnormalities across racial or ethnic groups and discusses disparities associated with device underuse in the management of patients at risk for sudden cardiac death.

Real life experience with the wearable cardioverter-defibrillator in an international multicenter Registry.
El-Battrawy Ibrahim et al. Scientific reports 2022 2 (1) 3203 (Posted: Feb 27, 2022 10AM)

Patients at high risk for sudden cardiac death (SCD) may benefit from wearable cardioverter defibrillators (WCD) by avoiding immediate implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) implantation. Different factors play an important role including patient selection, compliance and optimal drug treatment. We aimed to present real world data from 4 centers from Germany and Switzerland. Between 04/2012 and 03/2019, 708 patients were included in this registry. Patients were followed up over a mean time of 28?±?35.5 months. Outcome data including gender differences and different etiologies of cardiomyopathy were analyzed. Out of 708 patients (81.8% males, mean age 61.0?±?14.6), 44.6% of patients had non-ischemic cardiomyopathy, 39.8% ischemic cardiomyopathy, 7.9% myocarditis, 5.4% prior need for ICD explantation and 2.1% channelopathy.

A tailored approach to informing relatives at risk of inherited cardiac conditions: results of a randomised controlled trial
LM van den Heuvel et al, EJHG, November 24, 2021 (Posted: Nov 25, 2021 9AM)

If undetected, inherited cardiac conditions can lead to sudden cardiac death, while treatment options are available. Predictive DNA testing is therefore advised for at-risk relatives, and probands are currently asked to inform relatives about this. However, fewer than half of relatives attend genetic counselling. In this trial, we compared a tailored approach to informing relatives, in which probands were asked whether they preferred relatives to be informed by themselves or by the genetic counsellor, with current practice.

Genetic Variants Associated With Unexplained Sudden Cardiac Death in Adult White and African American Individuals
L Guo et al, JAMA Cardiology, June 2, 2021 (Posted: Jun 02, 2021 10PM)

In this genetic association study of 413 adults who had unexplained SCD, nearly one-fifth of individuals had pathogenic or likely pathogenic genetic variants consistent with inherited cardiomyopathies or arrhythmia syndromes, despite having normal cardiac findings. These clinically significant variants were predominantly associated with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, dilated cardiomyopathy, and long QT syndrome.

Personalizing Risk for Sudden Cardiac Death Among Patients With Dilated Cardiomyopathies: Moving Beyond Ejection Fraction With Genomics.
Khan Sadiya S et al. JAMA cardiology 2021 5 (Posted: May 13, 2021 7AM)

Large-scale genomic sequencing has significantly advanced our understanding of the monogenic causes of DCM, identifying more than 100 genes that are associated with approximately 40% to 50% of cases. These include genes that encode proteins responsible for contractility, extracellular matrix, and ion channels. Yet, data remain limited on the spectrum of phenotypes associated with each rare variant, which may inform diverse clinical presentations, guide clinical management, and improve outcomes for patients with inherited cardiomyopathies.

Characterization of clinically relevant copy-number variants from exomes of patients with inherited heart disease and unexplained sudden cardiac death.
Singer Emma S et al. Genetics in medicine : official journal of the American College of Medical Genetics 2020 Sep (Posted: Sep 27, 2020 2PM)

Copy-number variant (CNV) analysis is increasingly performed in genetic diagnostics. We leveraged recent gene curation efforts and technical standards for interpretation and reporting of CNVs to characterize clinically relevant CNVs in patients with inherited heart disease and sudden cardiac death.

Inherited cardiac arrhythmias
PJ Shwartz et al, Nat Rev Dis Primers, July 2020 (Posted: Jul 26, 2020 7AM)

The main inherited cardiac arrhythmias are long QT syndrome, short QT syndrome, catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia and Brugada syndrome. These rare diseases are often the underlying cause of sudden cardiac death in young individuals and result from mutations in several genes encoding ion channels or proteins involved in their regulation.

Rare Risk: Newly identified gene variants linked to increased risk for sudden cardiac death
Harvard Medical School, November 2019 (Posted: Nov 28, 2019 9AM)

Sudden cardiac death affects 220,000 U.S. adults annually, 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 laid the foundation for efforts to identify individuals who could benefit from prevention strategies prior to experiencing symptoms.

Rare Genetic Variants Associated With Sudden Cardiac Death in Adults
AV Khera et al, JACC, November 2019 (Posted: Nov 17, 2019 7AM)

Predicting Risk for Adult-Onset Sudden Cardiac Death in the Population
CR Bezzina et al, JACC, November 16, 2019 (Posted: Nov 17, 2019 7AM)

Genetics of Unexplained Sudden Cardiac Death in Adult Caucasian and African American Individuals Living in the State of Maryland
L Guo et al, MedRXIV, September 24, 2019 (Posted: Sep 26, 2019 8AM)

This study represents the largest examination reported on the association between cardiomyopathy and arrhythmia P/LP genetic variants and unexplained-SCD in adults with no gross abnormality on rigorous pathological examination. Nearly one-third of those with unexplained-SCD were carriers of P/LP variants.

Development of a Novel Risk Prediction Model for Sudden Cardiac Death in Childhood Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM Risk-Kids).
Norrish Gabrielle et al. JAMA cardiology 2019 Aug (Posted: Aug 15, 2019 8AM)

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is the most common mode of death in childhood hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), but there is no validated algorithm to identify those at highest risk. The study provides a new, validated risk stratification model for SCD in childhood HCM that can provide individualized estimates of risk at 5 years using available clinical risk factors.

Cardiovascular genomics and sudden cardiac death in the young.
Isbister Julia et al. Australian journal of general practice 2019 Mar 48(3) 90-95 (Posted: Jul 02, 2019 9AM)

Sudden cardiac death in the young is a rare consequence of a number of genetic cardiovascular disorders. The care of survivors of cardiac arrest and families affected by SCD seeks to prevent further SCD events through family screening. The aim of this article is to review the genetic basis of SCD in the young and outline the clinical aspects of caring for families affected by SCD. Inherited cardiomyopathies and primary arrhythmia syndromes are important causes of SCD in young people.

European recommendations integrating genetic testing into multidisciplinary management of sudden cardiac death
F Fellmann et al, EJHG, June 24, 2019 (Posted: Jun 24, 2019 9AM)

Increasing the proportion of both medicolegal and medical autopsy in case of sudden, unexpected natural death should be a major objective. This should be mandatory for deaths under the age of 40, it should be considered for deaths between ages 40 and 65, and evaluated on a case by case basis after age 65

A validation study of the European Society of Cardiology guidelines for risk stratification of sudden cardiac death in childhood hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
Norrish Gabrielle et al. Europace : European pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac electrophysiology : journal of the working groups on cardiac pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac cellular electrophysiology of the European Society of Cardiology 2019 Jun (Posted: Jun 05, 2019 10AM)

Sudden Cardiac Death Risk in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: Wither Our Cognitive Miser.
Ommen Steve R et al. JAMA cardiology 2019 May (Posted: May 27, 2019 5PM)

Enhanced American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Strategy for Prevention of Sudden Cardiac Death in High-Risk Patients With Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.
Maron Martin S et al. JAMA cardiology 2019 May (Posted: May 27, 2019 5PM)

Cases in Precision Medicine: Genetic Assessment After a Sudden Cardiac Death in the Family
R Laracuente et al, Ann Int Medicine, May 14, 2019 (Posted: May 15, 2019 10AM)

Management of Ventricular Arrhythmias and Sudden Cardiac Death Risk Associated With Cardiac Channelopathies
SM Al-Khatib et al, JAMA Cardiology, June 27, 2018 (Posted: Jun 29, 2018 1PM)

Role of copy number variants in sudden cardiac death and related diseases: genetic analysis and translation into clinical practice.
Mates Jesus et al. European journal of human genetics : EJHG 2018 Mar (Posted: Mar 09, 2018 9AM)

Coronary Artery Abnormalities as the Cause of Sudden Cardiac Death: A 20-Year Review.
Pawlowicz Bernard et al. The American journal of forensic medicine and pathology 2018 Feb (Posted: Feb 26, 2018 9AM)

Guidelines for autopsy investigation of sudden cardiac death: 2017 update from the Association for European Cardiovascular Pathology.
Basso Cristina et al. Virchows Archiv : an international journal of pathology 2017 Dec 471(6) 691-705 (Posted: Dec 13, 2017 9AM)

Sudden Cardiac Death in Genetic Cardiomyopathies.
Atteya Gourg et al. Cardiac electrophysiology clinics 2017 Dec 9(4) 581-603 (Posted: Nov 29, 2017 10AM)

Clinical and Genetic Diagnosis of Nonischemic Sudden Cardiac Death.
Jiménez-Jáimez Juan et al. Revista espanola de cardiologia (English ed.) 2017 Oct 70(10) 808-816 (Posted: Oct 04, 2017 10AM)

Genetics of sudden cardiac death - An epidemiologic perspective.
Kääb Stefan et al. International journal of cardiology 2017 Jun 23742-44 (Posted: May 24, 2017 9AM)

Postmortem genetic testing should be recommended in sudden cardiac death cases due to thoracic aortic dissection.
Gago-Díaz Marina et al. International journal of legal medicine 2017 Apr (Posted: Apr 12, 2017 8AM)

Sudden cardiac death of teen reminds physicians of promises, challenges of precision medicine
T Klein, Mayo Clinic, October 31, 2016 (Posted: Nov 01, 2016 8AM)

A Prospective Study of Sudden Cardiac Death among Children and Young Adults
RD Bagnall et al, NEJM, June 22, 2016 (Posted: Jun 22, 2016 5PM)

Consensus statement and guidelines: Interassociation consensus statement on cardiovascular care of college student-athletes.
Hainline Brian et al. British journal of sports medicine 2016 May (Posted: Jun 08, 2016 2PM)

Interassociation Task Force Punts Decision on Universal ECG Screenings for Athletes
JA Jacob, JAMA, June 8, 2016 (Posted: Jun 08, 2016 2PM)

Sudden Cardiac Death in the Young.
Ackerman Michael et al. Circulation 2016 Mar (10) 1006-26 (Posted: Mar 10, 2016 7AM)

Role of sodium and calcium dysregulation in tachyarrhythmias in sudden cardiac death.
Wagner Stefan et al. Circulation research 2015 Jun (12) 1956-70 (Posted: Jan 08, 2016 9AM)

Prediction of Sudden Cardiac Death with Automated High-Throughput Analysis of Heterogeneity in Standard Resting 12-Lead Electrocardiogram.
Kenttä Tuomas V et al. Heart rhythm : the official journal of the Heart Rhythm Society 2015 Nov (Posted: Jan 06, 2016 11AM)

2015 ESC Guidelines for the management of patients with ventricular arrhythmias and the prevention of sudden cardiac death: The Task Force for the Management of Patients with Ventricular Arrhythmias and the Prevention of Sudden Cardiac Death of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC)Endorsed by: Association for European Paediatric and Congenital Cardiology (AEPC).
Eur. Heart J. 2015 Aug 29. (Posted: Sep 02, 2015 1PM)

Genetic screening in sudden cardiac death in the young can save future lives.
Stattin Eva-Lena et al. Int. J. Legal Med. 2015 Jul 31. (Posted: Aug 04, 2015 2PM)

Utility and limitations of exome sequencing as a genetic diagnostic tool for conditions associated with pediatric sudden cardiac arrest/sudden cardiac death.
Li Mindy H et al. Hum. Genomics 9(1) 15 (Posted: Jul 22, 2015 0PM)

Genetic Mutation In Heart Proteins May Be Why Some Experience Sudden Cardiac Death During Exercise And Sleep
Dana Dovey, Medical Express, July 16, 2015 (Posted: Jul 18, 2015 7PM)

Sudden cardiac death in athletes.
Semsarian Christopher et al. Br J Sports Med 2015 Aug (15) 1017-23 (Posted: Jul 18, 2015 7PM)

Check out genetic conditions and tests associated with sudden cardiac death
from the NIH Genetic Testing Registry Brand (Posted: May 12, 2015 11AM)

CAD genetic risk helps predict SCD
João H. Duarte, Nature Reviews Cardiology, May 2015 (Posted: May 12, 2015 11AM)

Cardiovascular disease and sudden cardiac death: between genetics and genomics.
Stallmeyer Birgit et al. Eur. Heart J. 2015 May 8. (Posted: May 12, 2015 11AM)

Predicting sudden cardiac death using common genetic risk variants for coronary artery disease.
Hernesniemi Jussi A et al. Eur. Heart J. 2015 Apr 23. (Posted: May 12, 2015 11AM)

Risk factors for sudden cardiac death include family history and genetics
Mayo Clinic (Posted: May 12, 2015 11AM)

Heart Disease and Sudden Cardiac Death
WebMD, 2015 (Posted: May 12, 2015 11AM)

Next generation sequencing for molecular confirmation of hereditary sudden cardiac death syndromes.
Márquez Manlio F et al. Arch Cardiol Mex 2015 Jan-Mar (1) 68-72 (Posted: Apr 24, 2015 3PM)

Sudden cardiac death.
Kuriachan Vikas P et al. Curr Probl Cardiol 2015 Apr (4) 133-200 (Posted: Apr 24, 2015 3PM)

CDC Information: Heart Disease Facts
Brand (Posted: Feb 25, 2015 0PM)

Can sudden cardiac death of the young be prevented?
Brand (Posted: Feb 25, 2015 0PM)

Smoking and Your Heart
From NHLBI health topic site Brand (Posted: Jan 01, 2014 0AM)

How Does Smoking Affect the Heart and Blood Vessels? Cigarette smoking causes about 1 in every 5 deaths in the United States each year. It's the main preventable cause of death and illness in the United States. Smoking harms nearly every organ in the body, including the heart, blood vessels, lungs, eyes, mouth, reproductive organs, bones, bladder, and digestive organs. This article focuses on how smoking affects the heart and blood vessels. Other Health Topics articles, such as COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), Bronchitis, and Cough, discuss how smoking affects the lungs. Overview Smoking and Your Heart and Blood Vessels The chemicals in tobacco smoke harm your blood cells. They also can damage the function of your heart and the structure and function of your blood vessels. This damage increases your risk of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a disease in which a waxy substance called plaque builds up in the arteries. Over time, plaque hardens and narrows your arteries. This limits the flow of oxygen-rich blood to your organs and other parts of your body. Coronary heart disease (CHD) occurs if plaque builds up in the coronary (heart) arteries. Over time, CHD can lead to chest pain, heart attack, heart failure, arrhythmias, or even death. Smoking is a major risk factor for heart disease. When combined with other risk factors?such as unhealthy blood cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, and overweight or obesity?smoking further raises the risk of heart disease. Smoking also is a major risk factor for peripheral artery disease (P.A.D.). P.A.D. is a condition in which plaque builds up in the arteries that carry blood to the head, organs, and limbs. People who have P.A.D. are at increased risk for heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. Smoking and Atherosclerosis The image shows how smoking can affect arteries in the heart and legs. Figure A shows the location of coronary heart disease and peripheral artery disease. Figure B shows a detailed view of a leg artery with atherosclerosis?plaque buildup that's partially blocking blood flow. Figure C shows a detailed view of a coronary (heart) artery with atherosclerosis. The image shows how smoking can affect arteries in the heart and legs. Figure A shows the location of coronary heart disease and peripheral artery disease. Figure B shows a detailed view of a leg artery with atherosclerosis?plaque buildup that's partially blocking blood flow. Figure C shows a detailed view of a coronary (heart) artery with atherosclerosis. Any amount of smoking, even light smoking or occasional smoking, damages the heart and blood vessels. For some people, such as women who use birth control pills and people who have diabetes, smoking poses an even greater risk to the heart and blood vessels. Secondhand smoke also can harm the heart and blood vessels. Secondhand smoke is the smoke that comes from the burning end of a cigarette, cigar, or pipe. Secondhand smoke also refers to smoke that's breathed out by a person who is smoking. Secondhand smoke contains many of the same harmful chemicals that people inhale when they smoke. Secondhand smoke can damage the hearts and blood vessels of people who don't smoke in the same way that active smoking harms people who do smoke. Secondhand smoke greatly increases adults' risk of heart attack and death. Secondhand smoke also raises children and teens' risk of future CHD because it: ?Lowers HDL cholesterol (sometimes called "good" cholesterol) ?Raises blood pressure ?Damages heart tissues The risks of secondhand smoke are especially high for premature babies who have respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and children who have conditions such as asthma. Researchers know less about how cigar and pipe smoke affects the heart and blood vessels than they do about cigarette smoke. However, the smoke from cigars and pipes contains the same harmful chemicals as the smoke from cigarettes. Also, studies have shown that people who smoke cigars are at increased risk for heart disease. Benefits of Quitting Smoking and Avoiding Secondhand Smoke One of the best ways to reduce your risk of heart disease is to avoid tobacco smoke. Don't ever start smoking. If you already smoke, quit. No matter how much or how long you've smoked, quitting will benefit you. Also, try to avoid secondhand smoke. Don't go to places where smoking is allowed. Ask friends and family members who smoke not to do it in the house and car. Quitting smoking will reduce your risk of developing and dying from heart disease. Over time, quitting also will lower your risk of atherosclerosis and blood clots. If you smoke and already have heart disease, quitting smoking will reduce your risk of sudden cardiac death, a second heart attack, and death from other chronic diseases. Researchers have studied communities that have banned smoking at worksites and in public places. The number of heart attacks in these communities dropped quite a bit. Researchers think these results are due to a decrease in active smoking and reduced exposure to secondhand smoke. Outlook Smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke damages the heart and blood vessels in many ways. Smoking also is a major risk factor for developing heart disease or dying from it. Quitting smoking and avoiding secondhand smoke can help reverse heart and blood vessel damage and reduce heart disease risk. Quitting smoking is possible, but it can be hard. Millions of people have quit smoking successfully and remained nonsmokers. A variety of strategies, programs, and medicines are available to help you quit smoking. Not smoking is an important part of a heart-healthy lifestyle. A heart-healthy lifestyle also includes heart-healthy eating, aiming for a healthy weight, managing stress, and physical activity.

Sudden Cardiac Arrest
From NHLBI health topic site Brand (Posted: Jan 01, 2014 0AM)

Also known as Cardiac Arrest, Sudden Cardiac Death What Is Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is a condition in which the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. If this happens, blood stops flowing to the brain and other vital organs. SCA usually causes death if it's not treated within minutes. Overview To understand SCA, it helps to understand how the heart works. The heart has an electrical system that controls the rate and rhythm of the heartbeat. Problems with the heart's electrical system can cause irregular heartbeats called arrhythmias. There are many types of arrhythmias. During an arrhythmia, the heart can beat too fast, too slow, or with an irregular rhythm. Some arrhythmias can cause the heart to stop pumping blood to the body?these arrhythmias cause SCA. SCA is not the same as a heart attack. A heart attack occurs if blood flow to part of the heart muscle is blocked. During a heart attack, the heart usually doesn't suddenly stop beating. SCA, however, may happen after or during recovery from a heart attack. People who have heart disease are at higher risk for SCA. However, SCA can happen in people who appear healthy and have no known heart disease or other risk factors for SCA. Outlook Most people who have SCA die from it?often within minutes. Rapid treatment of SCA with a defibrillator can be lifesaving. A defibrillator is a device that sends an electric shock to the heart to try to restore its normal rhythm. Automated external defibrillators (AEDs) can be used by bystanders to save the lives of people who are having SCA. These portable devices often are found in public places, such as shopping malls, golf courses, businesses, airports, airplanes, casinos, convention centers, hotels, sports venues, and schools.

Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome
From NHLBI health topic site Brand (Posted: Jan 01, 2014 0AM)

Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome is a condition that causes an irregular heart rhythm, or arrhythmia. Overview Electrical signals in the heart usually travel along certain pathways to tell the heart to beat regularly. People with WPW syndrome are born with an extra electrical pathway that changes the way these signals travel. Symptoms of the arrhythmia that occur in WPW syndrome may include palpitations, chest pain or tightness, shortness of breath, dizziness, or faintness. Some people experience few to no symptoms. Others may have symptoms twice a week or more often. Most people with WPW syndrome do not have any other heart problems. Sometimes WPW syndrome is diagnosed during a routine test for heart disease, such as an electrocardiogram. Your doctor may recommend testing for WPW syndrome if you have atrial fibrillation, known as A-fib, or a family history of WPW syndrome. You may be asked to wear a Holter or event monitor that records your heart?s electrical activity while you do your normal activities. If your doctor diagnoses you with WPW syndrome, you may need medicine to control or prevent a fast heartbeat. If medicine does not work, you may need an electrical shock to the heart to restore its rhythm. Catheter ablation is another treatment that can cure WPW syndrome in most people. If untreated, WPW syndrome can cause the heart to beat much faster than it should, which is called tachycardia, and it can increase the risk of sudden cardiac death.


Disclaimer: Articles listed in Hot Topics of the Day are selected by Public Health Genomics Branch to provide current awareness of the scientific literature and news. Inclusion in the update does not necessarily represent the views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention nor does it imply endorsement of the article's methods or findings. CDC and DHHS assume no responsibility for the factual accuracy of the items presented. The selection, omission, or content of items does not imply any endorsement or other position taken by CDC or DHHS. Opinion, findings and conclusions expressed by the original authors of items included in the Clips, or persons quoted therein, are strictly their own and are in no way meant to represent the opinion or views of CDC or DHHS. References to publications, news sources, and non-CDC Websites are provided solely for informational purposes and do not imply endorsement by CDC or DHHS.
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