Is sudden cardiac death hereditary in families?

Written by Li Hai Wen
Cardiology
Updated on July 01, 2025
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Sudden cardiac death often has familial hereditary traits. Common causes of sudden cardiac death include:

First, ischemic heart disease and ischemic cardiomyopathy are currently the most common causes of sudden cardiac death, and ischemic heart disease has genetic traits;

Second, certain ion channel diseases, such as Long QT Syndrome, or Brugada Syndrome, are often related to familial genetic traits. These types of ion channel diseases generally appear more frequently among young family members. When diagnosed with these diseases, it is essential to undergo standardized tests and adhere to medical guidance for proper medication and treatment.

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Written by Chen Guang Yin
Cardiology
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Can an electrocardiogram be used to check for sudden cardiac death?

Can an electrocardiogram (ECG) detect the potential for sudden cardiac death in the future? Sudden cardiac death cannot be detected by an electrocardiogram. An ECG can only identify conditions such as myocardial infarction, arrhythmias, or premature beats occurring at the time of the test. Sudden cardiac death is a sudden cardiac event that definitely cannot be predicted by an ECG. There are some risk factors for sudden cardiac death, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and underlying diseases like coronary heart disease, which make individuals more susceptible to sudden cardiac death. We cannot rely on an ECG to predict it.

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Written by Li Hai Wen
Cardiology
45sec home-news-image

Is sudden cardiac death hereditary in families?

Sudden cardiac death often has familial hereditary traits. Common causes of sudden cardiac death include: First, ischemic heart disease and ischemic cardiomyopathy are currently the most common causes of sudden cardiac death, and ischemic heart disease has genetic traits; Second, certain ion channel diseases, such as Long QT Syndrome, or Brugada Syndrome, are often related to familial genetic traits. These types of ion channel diseases generally appear more frequently among young family members. When diagnosed with these diseases, it is essential to undergo standardized tests and adhere to medical guidance for proper medication and treatment.

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Written by Xie Zhi Hong
Cardiology
50sec home-news-image

Does sudden cardiac death relate to coronary heart disease?

Some studies suggest that 70% of sudden cardiac deaths are caused by arrhythmias. Most of these arrhythmia-induced sudden deaths are associated with coronary artery atherosclerosis. Some are caused by acute myocardial infarction leading to sudden cardiac death. These are all caused by coronary heart disease. Therefore, sudden cardiac death is related to coronary heart disease. Thus, if coronary heart disease is suspected in a patient, it is crucial to perform early examinations and treatments to prevent the occurrence of myocardial infarction. Typical symptoms of coronary heart disease include intermittent chest tightness and chest pain, which can improve after a few minutes, and should therefore be taken seriously.

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Written by Xie Zhi Hong
Cardiology
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Is sudden cardiac death an acute myocardial infarction?

Sudden cardiac death refers to a phenomenon where a variety of heart diseases cause acute death in patients, with the most common causes being malignant arrhythmias such as ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, or severe bradycardia, primarily related to myocardial infarction. However, not all cases of sudden cardiac death are due to myocardial infarction; this condition generally accounts for about 70%. Other causes of sudden cardiac death include existing dilated cardiomyopathy, thyrotoxic cardiomyopathy, or severe terminal stenosis of the mitral or aortic valves, which can also lead to sudden cardiac death. Another scenario involves atrial fibrillation leading to atrial thrombosis, causing thrombus detachment and resulting in extensive cerebral infarction leading to sudden death; this is also classified as sudden cardiac death. Therefore, while the majority of sudden cardiac deaths are related to myocardial infarction and arrhythmias, not all sudden cardiac deaths are due to myocardial infarction.

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Written by Xie Zhi Hong
Cardiology
1min 14sec home-news-image

The difference between sudden cardiac death and myocardial infarction.

Sudden cardiac death refers to the sudden death of a patient caused by various heart diseases. The most common causes include malignant arrhythmias such as ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia, severe bradycardia, significant valvular dysfunction, or the sudden occlusion of the coronary arteries leading to death. Myocardial infarction, on the other hand, refers to the sudden cessation of blood supply to the heart vessels, causing myocardial death and leading to arrhythmias or valvular dysfunction, which presents a range of symptoms in patients. Myocardial infarction can result in death in 30% of patients, but with medical intervention, the mortality rate can significantly decrease. Therefore, in cases of sudden cardiac death, the patients are already deceased. However, the mortality rate from myocardial infarction under natural circumstances is relatively high, reaching 30%. With current medical interventions, the rate of mortality due to sudden cardiac death can be reduced to less than 10%.