AHA Journals, Author Interviews, Genetic Research, Heart Disease / 21.03.2017
Discovery of New Gene That Causes Sudden Death in Young Athletes
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Lia Crotti, MD, PhD
Department of Cardiovascular, Neural and Metabolic Sciences
San Luca Hospital
IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Sudden cardiac death in one of the major cause of death in Western Countries and among the causes of these deaths in young people under the age of 35, inherited forms of cardiomyopathy have a prominent role. Among these cardiomyopathies, Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC) plays a major role. In ARVC, the heart tissue is replaced by fatty and fibrous tissue. This process encourages the development of life-threatening arrhythmias, such as ventricular fibrillation, that causes a cardiac arrest and sudden death in few minutes without a ready device to shock the heart. Intense physical activity favors the progression of the disease and arrhythmias are frequently triggered by adrenergic activation: those are the reason why young athletes with this disease are at high risk.
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