Sudden Cardiac Arrest

Research

Mayo Clinic has been a leader in lab research related to identifying people who are at greatest risk for sudden cardiac arrest related to long QT syndrome and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The Mayo Clinic Windland Smith Rice Sudden Death Genomics Laboratory works to identify the genes involved in the most common causes of sudden cardiac arrest in young individuals. Mayo researchers have discovered more than eight susceptibility genes for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and long QT syndrome. They are actively working to identify additional sudden cardiac arrest risk factors, and the characteristics of those individuals at greatest risk.

Mayo Clinic physicians strive to continually translate research findings into diagnosis and treatment options in the clinic setting. Discoveries made by Mayo Clinic researchers have helped advance long QT syndrome genetic testing from a research-based test to a commercialized, clinical diagnostic test. If clinical testing does not identify the cause of long QT syndrome-related sudden cardiac arrest, the Windland Smith Rice Sudden Death Genomics Laboratory offers patients the opportunity for further research-based genetic testing in hopes of identifying new genes responsible for their condition.

Mayo Clinic patients also have the opportunity to participate in clinical trials for treatment of arrhythmias that cause sudden cardiac arrest, for example, trials testing medical devices such as implantable cardioverter defibrillators.

Mayo Publications

See a list of publications by Mayo doctors on sudden cardiac arrest on PubMed, a service of the National Library of Medicine.