Cardiac repolarisation: the long and short of it

Smith, Warren M

doi:10.5694/j.1326-5377.2008.tb01845.x

Topics

Long (or short) QT syndrome is life-threatening, not as rare as once thought, and treatable if diagnosed

“The fault dear Brutus is not in our stars, but in ourselves”. Through the lens of molecular medicine we are now beginning to see those faults more clearly. We can now increasingly understand why some apparently healthy children and young adults die without warning. The long-QT syndrome is foremost among responsible causes, and is known to be the consequence of mutations in genes encoding ion channel function.1 Originally an esoteric condition of great rarity, its prevalence is now estimated as one in 2000.2

Green Lane Cardiovascular Service, Auckland City Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand.

Correspondence: warrens@adhb.govt.nz

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