Genetic Heart Disorders

Genetic Heart Disorders

Signs and Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment

Signs and Symptoms

There are certain features of a family history that may be signs of a genetic heart disorder. Some of these include:

• Sudden cardiac death, unexplained death at a young age, or death by an unexplained accident or drowning.
• Heart failure at a young age (under 50). Signs of heart failure include shortness of breath, fatigue, weakness, difficulty with exercise and "asthma" that doesn't improve with an inhaler.
• Palpitations or an abnormal heart rhythm at a young age.
• Fainting, black-outs, or seizures that couldn't be treated with typical seizure medications.
• More than one relative with the same type of heart disease.

Reviewed by health care specialists at UCSF Medical Center.
Last updated February 19, 2008