Sudden cardiac death in the young: causes and prevention

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) in the young is a tragic event that can occur in infants, children, adolescents and young adults alike. In a lot of cases, sudden death is the first manifestation of an undetected fatal heart abnormality, with no previous symptoms or warning signs during the victim’s life. Although we know many pathological heart conditions that give rise to SCD in the young, the frequently ‘silent’ nature of these conditions means that identifying individuals who are susceptible is difficult. Strategies aimed at reducing the incidence of SCD in the young mainly focus on risk stratification through screening programmes, followed by the institution of preventive management in those discovered to be at risk. The role of genetic testing in SCD is constantly advancing, particularly in screening relatives of young people with known heart conditions, or of young people who have tragically succumbed to SCD. This paper gives a broad overview of the causes of SCD in the young, with extra consideration given to infants and young athletes. This is followed by discussion of both current and future prevention strategies.