title: Role of noninvasive studies in risk stratification for sudden cardiac death.
abstract: Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is one of the leading causes of mortality in developing countries. To prevent SCD, it is crucial to have effective tools for identifying patients at risk, given that there are now effective devices and medications that can prevent SCD. Two noninvasive electrocardiographic tools have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration and are being used clinically for identifying patients at risk for SCD: the signal-averaged electrocardiogram (SAECG) and T-wave alternans (TWA). This article reviews each of these approaches and includes a discussion of the mechanisms and a summary of the clinical studies published to date.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology and Circulatory Physiology, Department of Medicine, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, USA.
authors.forename: Chandra
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kunavarapu
authors.forename: Daniel M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Bloomfield
mesh_terms: D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017147:Defibrillators, Implantable; D003906:Developing Countries; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D012307:Risk Factors