Lightning Learning: SADS
““Every week 12 young people in the UK die unexpectedly from a heart condition they didn’t know they had…””
What?
SADS (Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome) is inherited – it runs in the family.
Here are a few examples of conditions causing SADS:
Ion Channelopathies:
Long QT syndrome (LQTS)
Brugada syndrome
Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT)
Conduction defects:
Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome
The above conditions can trigger dangerous arrhythmia leading to cardiac arrest.
Why?
Every week 12 young people in the UK die unexpectedly from a heart condition they didn’t know they had.
SADS is often not diagnosed until one person in a family dies suddenly & unexpectedly.
An internal cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) is implanted for patients at high risk of ventricular fibrillation.
Further Reading
- SADS Charity: sads.org.uk
- Cardiac Risk in the Young: c-r-y.org.uk
- JMHT: SADS conference
