Inherited cardiac conditions

Patients with a family history of a cardiac condition

Some cardiac conditions like coronary artery disease are common and are rarely the result of an inherited condition. Others – like hypertrophic cardiomyopathy – are usually the result of an inherited gene fault.

All patients with the following conditions should be referred to the North of England Cardiac Family History Service (contact details below) for nurse-led triage:

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy or unexplained left ventricular hypertrophy.
Unexplained dilated cardiomyopathy, especially if there is a family history of cardiomyopathy or sudden unexplained death/cardiac arrest.
Unexplained cardiac arrest under the age of 50.
Those with a close relative (sib, parent, child) who has died suddenly without an obvious cause below the age of 50.

All patients with the following conditions should be referred to the Northern Genetics Service:

Unexplained thoracic aortic aneurysm / dissection under the age of 50 (or those with a family history of the same).
Possible Marfan syndrome.
Bicuspid aortic valve with a family history of the same or thoracic aortic aneurysm.
Possible vascular Ehlers Danlos syndrome or unexplained non-thoracic arterial aneurysm/dissection.
People with hypertrophic or dilated cardiomyopathy, long QT syndrome, Brugada syndrome or catecholaminergic polymorphic VT in whom a pathogenic variant, likely pathogenic variant or variant of uncertain significance has been identified through molecular testing.

Please refer patients with these conditions – or with a close family history, to the North of England Cardiac Family History Service: