Danish medical journal
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Danish medical journal · Dec 2016
ReviewSudden cardiac death: a nationwide cohort study among the young.
Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is a tragic event affecting millions of individuals worldwide. Although several studies have investigated the epidemiology of SCD, these studies may have been affected by reporting and referral biases, which are reflected in the very different incidence rates and causes of deaths that have previously been reported. Among SCD victims aged < 36 years, inherited cardiac diseases are well known to play an important role. ⋯ Future research should investigate the extent to which CAD among individuals younger than 50 years of age is caused by inherited cardiac conditions such as familial hypercholesterolemia. The extent to which medication use prior to death may contribute to SCD and SUD should also be evaluated. Finally, with the availability of dried blood spot samples from all infants in Denmark, future research should also investigate the genetic substrate of SCD and SUD.