Publications by authors named "Georgia Sarquella-Brugada"

Inherited arrhythmogenic syndromes comprise a heterogenic group of genetic entities that lead to malignant arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. Genetic testing has become crucial to understand the disease etiology and allow for the early identification of relatives at risk; however, it requires an accurate interpretation of the data to achieve a clinically actionable outcome. This is particularly challenging for the large number of rare variants obtained by current high-throughput techniques, which are mostly classified as of unknown significance.

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  • * AAs were the first symptom of IAS in 52% of patients, and nearly a quarter had multiple AAs documented.
  • * The study found a moderate incidence of severe outcomes, including a yearly primary endpoint rate of 1.4%, with younger patients experiencing higher risks and other complications affecting some patients as well.
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  • Genetic testing is crucial for diagnosing short QT syndrome, a rare inherited condition that leads to dangerous heart rhythms and is marked by short QT intervals on an ECG.
  • Researchers reviewed and updated knowledge about 34 rare genetic variants linked to short QT syndrome, identifying only nine that definitively cause the condition.
  • The variants were found in four main genes (KCNQ1, KCNH2, KCNJ2, SLC4A3), highlighting the importance of reanalyzing genetic data to improve patient care and early identification of at-risk individuals.
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Background: Although genetic variants in are the most frequent cause of pediatric genetic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), there are no studies available describing this entity. We sought to describe clinical features, analyze variant location, and explore predictors of bad prognosis in pediatric -related DCM.

Methods And Results: We evaluated clinical records from 44 patients (24 men; median age at diagnosis, 0.

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Introduction And Objectives: We report the results of the 2023 Spanish catheter ablation registry.

Methods: Procedural data were collected and incorporated into the REDCap platform by all participating centers through a specific form.

Results: There were 104 participating centers in 2023 compared with 103 in 2022.

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  • - Cardiac channelopathies are inherited syndromes in children that can lead to serious heart issues like malignant arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death, often diagnosed through a 12-lead electrocardiogram.
  • - Identifying these conditions early is important, especially since symptoms may only appear after triggers like exercise or emotions; complementary tests, including genetic analysis, can help diagnose and assess risks in affected families.
  • - Advances in genetic testing and sequencing technologies are aiding in discovering new genetic causes and refining the interpretation of uncertain genetic variants, crucial for effective risk management in pediatric patients.
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Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy is an inherited entity characterized by irregular cell-cell adhesion, cardiomyocyte death and fibro-fatty replacement of ventricular myocytes, leading to malignant ventricular arrythmias, contractile dysfunction and sudden cardiac death. Pathogenic variants in genes that encode desmosome are the predominant cause of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy. Moreover, signalling pathways such as Wnt/ß-catenin and transforming growth factor-β have been involved in the disease progression.

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Background: Young (<18 years of age) patients with Brugada syndrome (BrS) are often under-represented in BrS studies and their management, especially related to syncopal episodes, remains unclear.

Objectives: This study sought to describe the arrhythmia prevalence among young patients with BrS undergoing continuous rhythm monitoring by implantable loop recorder (ILR) and to assess the etiology behind syncope of undetermined origin.

Methods: A total of 147 patients with BrS with ILR were enrolled in 12 international centers and divided into pediatric (age <12 years; n = 77, 52%) and adolescents (age 13-18 years; n = 70, 48%).

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  • - Sudden cardiac death, especially among young people, is a rare and tragic event often triggered during or right after exercise, with inherited arrhythmogenic syndromes being a primary cause.
  • - These genetic conditions can lead to dangerous heart rhythms, and sometimes, the first sign of a problem is a sudden cardiac event, emphasizing the importance of assessing family members for genetic risks.
  • - Early detection and individualized preventive measures are essential to mitigate risks, and while exercise is generally beneficial, specific guidelines should be tailored to each patient's genetic background and health status.
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Pathogenic variants in have been associated with a wide spectrum of muscular conditions: the laminopathies. -related congenital muscular dystrophy is a laminopathy characterised by the early onset of symptoms and often leads to a fatal outcome at young ages. Children face a heightened risk of malignant arrhythmias.

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  • * Right ventricle outflow tract fibrosis has been observed in some Brugada syndrome patients, indicating structural issues in the heart.
  • * A case is reported of a 4-year-old boy with pulmonary atresia showing a Brugada pattern after testing, suggesting that certain genetic variants may cause both conditions to develop similarly.
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  • - Phacomatosis pigmentokeratotica (PPK) is a genetic disorder (RASopathy) marked by specific skin growths: a sebaceous nevus and a lentiginous nevus.
  • - The report details serious related health issues, such as dangerous heart arrhythmias, that can occur in PPK patients.
  • - It suggests the use of topical rapamycin as a possible treatment option for managing the sebaceous nevus in individuals with PPK.
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  • Dilated cardiomyopathy is a complex heart condition linked to heart failure and arrhythmias, with about 50% of cases being inherited, highlighting the importance of genetic analysis.
  • In a study of 65 patients, researchers re-evaluated 125 previously ambiguous genetic variants, reclassifying 12% as likely benign or pathogenic, suggesting improved understanding through better population frequency data.
  • Their new algorithm indicated that 60.9% of remaining ambiguous variants had potential but unconfirmed harmful effects, while 24.5% might be benign, demonstrating the benefit of regularly updating genetic data for clearer interpretations.
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Background: Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT) may cause sudden cardiac death (SCD) despite medical therapy. Therefore, implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) are commonly advised. However, there is limited data on the outcomes of ICD use in children.

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Although there is consensus on the management of patients with Brugada Syndrome with high risk for sudden cardiac arrest, asymptomatic or intermediate-risk patients present clinical management challenges. This document explores the management opinions of experts throughout the world for patients with Brugada Syndrome who do not fit guideline recommendations. Four real-world clinical scenarios were presented with commentary from small expert groups for each case.

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Background: Brugada syndrome (BrS) is an inherited cardiac arrhythmogenic disease that predisposes patients to sudden cardiac death. It is associated with mutations in SCN5A, which encodes the cardiac sodium channel alpha subunit (Na1.5).

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Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is a cardiac syndrome characterized by transient left ventricular systolic dysfunction in the absence of significant obstructive coronary artery disease. At the autopsy, its diagnosis is often challenging, since it is generally thought that it relates to no characteristic macroscopic or microscopic findings. In order to verify this last statement, we performed a systematic review of the literature following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Statement (PRISMA) criteria.

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Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy is a rare inherited entity, characterized by a progressive fibro-fatty replacement of the myocardium. It leads to malignant arrhythmias and a high risk of sudden cardiac death. Incomplete penetrance and variable expressivity are hallmarks of this arrhythmogenic cardiac disease, where the first manifestation may be syncope and sudden cardiac death, often triggered by physical exercise.

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Sudden cardiac death is the most common mode of death during childhood and adolescence in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and identifying those individuals at highest risk is a major aspect of clinical care. The mainstay of preventative therapy is the implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, which has been shown to be effective at terminating malignant ventricular arrhythmias in children with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy but can be associated with substantial morbidity. Accurate identification of those children at highest risk who would benefit most from implantable cardioverter-defibrillator implantation while minimising the risk of complications is, therefore, essential.

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Long QT Syndrome (LQTS) is a rare, inherited channelopathy characterized by cardiac repolarization dysfunction, leading to a prolonged rate-corrected QT interval in patients who are at risk for malignant ventricular tachyarrhythmias, syncope, and even sudden cardiac death. A complex genetic origin, variable expressivity as well as incomplete penetrance make the diagnosis a clinical challenge. In the last 10 years, there has been a continuous improvement in diagnostic and personalized treatment options.

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Laminopathies are caused by rare alterations in , leading to a wide clinical spectrum. Though muscular dystrophy begins at early ages, disease progression is different in each patient. We investigated variability in laminopathy phenotypes by performing a targeted genetic analysis of patients diagnosed with -related muscular dystrophy to identify rare variants in alternative genes, thereby explaining phenotypic differences.

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Rapid advances in genetic technologies have led to expanding use of diagnostic, research, and direct-to-consumer exome and genome sequencing. Incidentally identified variants from this sequencing represent a significant and growing challenge to interpret and translate into clinical care and include variants in genes associated with heritable cardiovascular disease such as cardiac ion channelopathies, cardiomyopathies, thoracic aortic disease, dyslipidemias, and congenital/structural heart disease. These variants need to be properly reported, the risk of associated disease accurately assessed, and clinical management implemented to prevent or lessen the disease so that cardiovascular genomic medicine can become both predictive and preventive.

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Article Synopsis
  • LMNA-related muscular dystrophy can lead to serious heart issues, including dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and harmful arrhythmias, affecting pediatric patients diagnosed with conditions like Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy and limb-girdle muscular dystrophy.
  • A study monitored 28 pediatric patients, revealing that 20% experienced dangerous arrhythmias, with some requiring implantable defibrillators, and identified early-onset EDMD patients as having the worst heart outcomes.
  • The findings indicate a need for specific heart care guidelines for children with these conditions to prevent sudden death, especially as early neurologic symptoms may be linked to worse cardiac prognosis.
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