10 New Genes Linked to Sudden Cardiac Death

Boston (HealthKnowItAll) - Researchers have uncovered up to 10 genes that may increase a person’s risk of experiencing sudden cardiac death.

Their study, which appears in the Journal Nature Genetics identified common genetic similarities that can increase the risk of sudden death, even if other risk factors for heart disease are not present.

Other risk factors for heart disease, leading to cardiac death include obesity, smoking and hypertention.

For their study the researchers combed the entire genomes of 16000 heart patients looking for similarities that could explain sudden cardiac arrest.

They found a few genes that they already knew played a role in cardiac death, but also found many new genes that were never viewed as being partially to blame.

“Almost half were surprising new genes that no one would have guessed as being involved in cardiac biology,” said Dan Arking of Johns Hopkins University

An estimated 400,000 people living in America die each year from sudden cardiac death.