title: Common genetic variation modulating cardiac ECG parameters and susceptibility to sudden cardiac death.
abstract: Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is a prevalent cause of death in Western societies. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) conducted over the last few years have uncovered common genetic variants modulating risk of SCD. Furthermore, GWAS studies uncovered several loci impacting on heart rate and ECG indices of conduction and repolarization, as measures of cardiac electrophysiological function and likely intermediate phenotypes of SCD risk. We here review these recent developments and their implications for the identification of novel molecular pathways underlying normal electrophysiological function and susceptibility to SCD.
authors.affiliation: Heart Failure Research Center, Department of Experimental Cardiology, Academic Medical Center, Meibergdreef 15, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Iris C R M
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Kolder
authors.forename: Michael W T
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Tanck
authors.forename: Connie R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Bezzina
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D056426:Genetic Loci; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D014644:Genetic Variation; D055106:Genome-Wide Association Study; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D010641:Phenotype; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D012307:Risk Factors