Sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS)
আকস্মিক অ্যারিদমিক মৃত্যু সিনড্রোম (SADS)
Common Symptoms
Symptom information is not available for this condition yet.
⚠️ This symptom list is for educational purposes. Having these symptoms does not mean you have this condition. See a doctor for proper diagnosis.
Medicines Commonly Used
⚠️ These medicines are commonly used for confirmed diagnoses of this condition. This is NOT a recommendation or prescription. Treatment must be determined by your doctor.
No medicines have been linked to this condition yet.
Sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS) is when a person dies suddenly and unexpectedly from a cardiac arrest, and no clear cause can be found.
Read more: Cardiac arrest
What causes SADS?
Sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS) usually happens when the heart goes into a dangerous rhythm called a fatal arrhythmia. Problems with heart rhythm can come from a fault in the electrical system that makes the heart beat.
Sometimes the condition behind the rhythm problem is inherited. Inherited heart conditions are a group of conditions that pass down through families.
Some people with an inherited heart condition have no symptoms at all. So some families only learn they're affected after a sudden death.
Read more: Inherited heart conditions
Genetic testing
A pathologist may recommend genetic testing if they find the death was caused by a heart condition that may be inherited. They may also recommend it when they can't find a cause of death.
During the post-mortem, a small sample of tissue (usually 2cm of spleen) may be stored for genetic testing.
Family members may be referred to a local inherited heart conditions service. The service will review whether genetic testing is needed and tailor it to your family's needs.
The Network for Inherited Cardiac Conditions Scotland (NICCS) has more information on genetic testing and inherited heart conditions.
Sudden cardiac death
Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is a broad term. It covers any sudden, unexpected death that is caused by a heart problem.
Sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS) belongs to this group. So do other sudden deaths where the post-mortem finds a heart problem, such as a blockage in an artery or a change in the structure of the heart.