Sudden cardiac death in children and young adults—epidemiology and prevention

Sudden cardiac death is a rare but catastrophic event in children and young adults (<35 years) with the incidence ranging between 0.8 and 2.8/100,000 person-years. Considering the frequent genetic background of potentially lethal cardiovascular disease in these patients, all attempts should be made to determine the risk for remaining family members. A population-based approach consists of screening young individuals being at higher risk (e.g. athletes) for potentially lethal cardiovascular disorders. The following text will analyse the efficacy of both approaches using currently available data.