Discover Freiburg researchers: scar tissue as the cause of sudden cardiac death!

Discover Freiburg researchers: scar tissue as the cause of sudden cardiac death!

The world of medicine is not quiet. Recent research from Freiburg offers fascinating insights into the causes of sudden cardiac death, especially in young, apparently healthy people. A combination of innovative 3D imaging and detailed electrical measurements shows that not only structural changes in the heart are important, but also the presence of scar tissue, which acts as a "low-pass filter". Scinexx reports that this tissue weakens or blocks electrical signals in the heart muscle, especially in physical stress or stressful situations.

This discovery could be revolutionary not only for understanding sudden cardiac death, but also for diagnostics and treatment planning in high-risk patients. During tests on mice that had a genetic heart muscle disease, it became clear that the electrical impulses - largely unhindered when the heart beats calmly - are significantly changed when the scarred tissue is stressed. In extreme cases, this can even lead to complete heart failure. Like the study in Engenieur.de Informed, the changes are only dangerous in the event of physical stress, which is often not ignored in standard examinations.

Research on a new level

Under the direction of Prof. Dr. Peter Kohl at the University Hospital of Freiburg is conducting an investigation at full speed. The combination of high-resolution 3D imaging and optical measurements allows a precise analysis of the electrical processes in the heart. The team is pursuing this approach with the aim of developing digital twins of the heart that take both anatomical and electrical properties into account - a method that could enable predictive monitoring of at-risk patients.

The researchers hope that these digital models will significantly improve risk assessments and treatment planning for patients with heart muscle diseases. The results of the study are published in the journal “Nature Cardiovascular Research” and offer a way to better understand unexplained cases of sudden cardiac death, which is particularly important for young people. The University of Freiburg emphasizes that such an approach should also be examined further in more complex animal models in order to test the transferability on humans.

The look ahead

Overall, this research shows how important it is to develop new technologies for early detection of life -threatening cardiac arrhythmias. The team plans to refine the imaging methods and their practical applicability in clinics in order to better assess and treat the risk of patients in the future. This progress could lead to the causes and prevention options of the sudden heart death in a new light in the coming years. Thanks to these innovative approaches, the future of cardiac medicine could soon become concrete.