If your cardiac arrest was caused by or is suspected to be related to an inherited heart condition, it is important that your first-degree relatives — parents, siblings, and children — are offered cardiac screening. This is recommended regardless of whether they have symptoms, as many inherited cardiac conditions produce no warning signs until a serious arrhythmia occurs.
You do not need to wait for your relatives to develop symptoms before seeking assessment. Proactively identifying a condition in a family member — before an event occurs — could save their life.
In the UK, inherited cardiac conditions are managed by specialist cardiac genetics or inherited cardiac conditions (ICC) services, often based at regional cardiac centres. Your cardiologist or electrophysiologist should be able to refer you and your relatives to the appropriate service. The process typically begins with a detailed family history, followed by investigations such as ECG, echocardiogram, exercise testing, and in some cases genetic blood testing.
The charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) and the British Heart Foundation also provide information and support for families affected by inherited cardiac conditions.