Genetics and Cardiomyopathy - Mayo Clinic

Genetic discoveries are making diagnosis and treatment of many diseases much more effective. Take a condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, for example. It's a serious heart problem that runs in families. It often goes undiagnosed for years, and sometimes the first symptom is cardiac arrest. This is the condition most commonly associated with sudden death in athletes. But with genetic testing, patients who have the gene can take preventive steps to keep themselves heart healthy.