Highly sensitive diagnostic tests for the prevention of sudden cardiac death

Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD) causes more years of potential life lost than any other non-cancer disorder. The diagnosis of some SCD disorders, including Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC) and Brugada Syndrome (BrS), is difficult and expensive using current clinical assessments, and after complete workup 2/3 of ARVC patients still go undiagnosed. Dr. Robert Hamilton, a clinician scientist at SickKids, led the team that identified and developed accurate but simple tests that detect more than 98% of ARVC and BrS cases to inform treatment and prevention of SCD. These blood/saliva-based tests detect autoantibodies with high sensitivity and specificity, offering an accurate, cost-effective, and accessible diagnostic solution to all demographics vulnerable to SCD.