Heart failure & cardiomyopathies

Genotype and Family History as Risk Markers of Sudden Cardiac Death in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

JACC Clin ElectrophysiolPublished historical cohort study

Authors' conclusion

FHxSCD remained independently associated with SCD in adult patients with HCM even after adjusting for genotype. Among patients with FHxSCD but no other risk markers, genotype-positive patients were at high risk of SCD but genotype-negative patients were not. These data suggest that ICD insertion is not indicated for most genotype-negative patients with FHxSCD unless other risk markers are present.

Study context

Population
Patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) at 2 HCM referral centers896 (27.5%) genotype-positive, 332 (10.2%) with FHxSCD
Participants
3,258 patients
Exposure
Association of FHxSCD and genotype with sudden cardiac death (SCD)
  • FHxSCDn = 332
  • Genotype-positiven = 896
Outcome
SCD outcome
Follow-up
4.9 years' median
Methodological detailsregistries of 2 HCM referral centers, multivariable hazard regression analysis
  • Registries of 2 HCM referral centers
  • Multivariable hazard regression analysis

Main finding

As reported in the abstract

Multivariable analysis
Hazard ratio (95% CI)P value
FHxSCD
1.83(1.161–2.9)
P = 0.01
Genotype-positive
1.52(1.01–2.31)
P = 0.047
Patients reaching the SCD outcome
114

Observational data: associations, not effects.

Further findings

Risk of SCD events among patients with FHxSCD but no other risk markers · 5 years
Percent
Genotype-positive patients with FHxSCD but no other risk markers
6.4%(95% CI 2.7%–14.9%)
Genotype-negative patients with FHxSCD but no other risk markers
2.6%(95% CI 0.6%–10.0%)

Original publication

Genotype and Family History as Risk Markers of Sudden Cardiac Death in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. JACC Clin Electrophysiol. Published 5 March 2026. doi:10.1016/j.jacep.2026.01.033

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