The Role of Clinical Observation: Red Flag 2 — Cardiomyopathies and Arrhythmias

Arrhythmias and/or conduction defects can complicate some types of cardiomyopathy (CMP) and might represent a useful clue to a specific gene defect (Table 3.1). The presence of these arrhythmias can be important from a diagnostic point of view because they may be the first sign of myocardial disease, and sometimes they are associated with a more severe prognosis, as for example in LMNA gene mutations, in which there is a marked incidence of sudden death, even before overt myocardial dysfunction [1].