Long Q-T Syndrome: Introduction

Have you ever felt a sudden increase in your heart rate and then felt like the next heartbeat took a long time to occur? People with Long Q-T Syndrome (LQTS) frequently suffer from this frightening scenario. LQTS is an uncommon hereditary disease that normally affects children to young adults. Although it is hereditary, it can also be caused through a mutation in a gene.

About 25,000 people suffer from LQTS in the United States and about 1 in 7,000 people all over the world. LQTS can lead to rapid heartbeats which can cause fainting, cardiac arrest or death. About 3,000 to 4,000 sudden deaths of children and young adults each year are caused by LQTS.