ReviewThe future of sudden cardiac death research

- The diagnostic approach to victims of SCD and their families should be standardized.
- Genetic technology may lead to the discovery of novel genetic variants as underlying causes of sudden cardiac death (SCD).
- Identification of novel genetic variants may result in better risk stratification in surviving family members of SCD victims.
- It is essential to find more judicious ways to distinguish disease-causing mutations from benign genetic variations.
- Novel methods should be designed to investigate the pathways by which genetic variants may increase the risk of SCD.

Sudden unexplained death (SUD) in the young is a rare but tragic event. As genetic cardiac causes underlie the majority of SUD cases, surviving family members with the same genetic substrate as their deceased relative may be at increased risk. Presently, the diagnostic strategy to young SUD victims and their families is yet not standardized, the underlying aetiology in an important fraction of cases is still unravelled, and risk prediction in the genetically affected relatives is difficult due the variable expressivity of disease-causing mutations. In this review, we describe an ideal approach to SUD that is currently feasible but unfortunately not routinely followed in the clinical practice. We also discuss recent advancements in genetic technology and novel insights in the pathomechanism of genetic diseases that provide new opportunities for the future of sudden cardiac death research and management.