Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia
Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia is a genetic disease in which normal heart tissue is progressively replaced with fat and scar tissue. According to St. Lukes-Roosevelt Hospital Center, tissue damage occurs predominantly in the right chamber of the heart. People who inherit this genetic disease may develop arrhythmias, or abnormal heart rhythms. Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia is a known cause of sudden death from cardiac arrest in people younger than 30. The condition is especially prevalent in communities in northeast Italy.
Brugada Syndrome
Brugada syndrome is a life-threatening, frequently inherited disorder characterized by an abnormal heart rhythm, called a Brugada sign, according to the Mayo Clinic. This arrhythmia prevents the chambers of the heart from pumping effectively, preventing blood from traveling normally throughout the body. As a result, fainting or sudden heart attack leading to death can occur.
Familial Dilated Cardiomyopathy
Dilated cardiomyopathy is a condition in which the heart's left ventricle becomes enlarged and weak, reducing the heart's ability to pump blood. Over time, the disorder can damage multiple organs and lead to congestive heart failure. According to the Cleveland Clinic, about one-third of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy have an inherited form called familial dilated cardiomyopathy. Familial dilated cardiomyopathy is autosomal dominant, meaning you need only to get the abnormal gene from one parent in order to inherit the condition.
Long QT Syndrome
Congenital long QT syndrome occurs in approximately 1 in 7,000 to 10,000 people in the United States, according to St. Lukes-Roosevelt Hospital Center. This condition is the result of gene mutations that lead to abnormal heart rhythms. A form of Long QT syndrome called Ward-Romano syndrome leads to abnormal electrical conduction in the heart that can