Genes Shed Light on Sudden Death from Irregular Heartbeats
Almost everyone experiences harmless irregular heartbeats, called arrhythmias, from time to time. But about 4 million Americans—most over age 60—have recurrent arrhythmias that, in some cases, can cause sudden death. PGRN scientists tracked down gene variants that put people at higher risk for fatal heart arrhythmias. This information will help doctors target high-risk patients for more aggressive screening and preventive medications. Because some arrhythmias are brought on by medications that treat conditions as diverse as bacterial infection and psychiatric disease, the research will also help doctors tailor medications to individual patients. In the future, it may even lead to new drugs based on gene targets. (Daniel M. Roden, M.D., The Pharmacogenomics of Arrhythmia Therapy center)