If you have a relative who suffered sudden unexplained death, postmortem genetic testing is a cost-effective way of identifying mutations that may place you and other surviving family members at increased risk for potentially fatal heart rhythm disturbances, a new study suggests.
"Postmortem gene testing may be a better way to determine risk to relatives than traditional comprehensive cardiac testing of first-degree relatives," says researcher Michael J. Ackerman, MD, PhD, of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
WebMD by Charlene Laino, 11/16/09