Facts About CAS

Cardiac arrhythmia syndromes (CAS) are also known as:

• Sudden Unexpected Death Syndrome (SUDS)
• Sudden Adolescent Death Syndrome (SADS)
• Sudden Athletic Death Syndrome (SAD)
• Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
• Long Q-T Syndrome
• 1 out of every 143 children has a cardiac arrhythmia syndrome.
• 20 children between the ages of 6 & 25 will die today from sudden cardiac arrest caused by a cardiac arrhythmia syndrome. (1)
• 1 out of every 500 children has hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) the leading cause of sudden death in all young people. (2)
• Cardiac arrhythmia syndrome is the leading cause of non-traumatic death in the adolescent athlete and young American population. (2)
• Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the leading cause of sudden unexpected death in those under 35 years of age. (3)
• Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) is more common in the United States than childhood leukemia, cystic fibrosis, Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis, and ALS combined. (4)
• Electrical cardiac diseases, such as Long QT syndrome, Short QT syndrome, Brugada syndrome, Lev Lenegre syndrome, Wolf Parkinson White syndrome (WPW), hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) can be identified by the resting ECG. (5)
• Once a cardiac arrhythmia syndrome is detected and 1st and 2nd degree family members are tested, an average of nine additional cases are found.
• Once diagnosed, these syndromes are treatable, and individuals with these conditions can have normal life spans and lifestyles.

References:

(1) Heart Rhythm Society, www.hrsonline.org

(2) The Teague Ryan Sudden Child Cardiac Arrhythmia Syndromes Screening and Education Act of 2005

(3) B. Maron et al. “Sudden death in young competitive athletes: clinical, demographic, and pathological profiles.” JAMA, 1996.

(4) The Teague Ryan Sudden Child Cardiac Arrhythmia Syndromes Screening and Education Act of 2005, also, B. Maron, “Sudden Death in Young Athletes” New England Journal of Medicine, Sept 11, 2003.

(5) Corrado D, Pelliccia A, Bjørnstad HH, et al.. “Cardiovascular pre-participation screening of young competitive athletes for prevention of sudden death: proposal for a common European protocol. Consensus statement of the Study Group of Sport Cardiology of the Working Group of Cardiac Rehabilitation and Exercise Physiology and the Working Group of Myocardial and Pericardial Diseases of the European Society of Cardiology” Eur Heart J 2005;26:516–20, also in “Preparticipation cardiovascular screening in young athletes” British Journal of Sports Medicine, July 7, 2009.