Simple cheek swab could predict sudden cardiac death risk
NCT ID NCT04257994
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study explores whether a quick, painless cheek swab can spot protein changes linked to inherited heart conditions that cause sudden cardiac death in young people. Researchers will collect samples from 26 patients with arrhythmic disorders or family members at risk. If the test works, it could replace risky heart biopsies and help diagnose those at risk earlier.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- buccal smear sample
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could provide a simple, painless cheek swab test to identify people at risk of sudden cardiac death without needing a heart biopsy.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study with only 26 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The test is still experimental and not yet proven to reliably predict risk.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
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About 26 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Oct 2017
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
Participants will include individuals that have arrhythmic disorders or are being evaluated for arrhythmic disorders due to a family history of sudden cardiac death at the cardiology center of St George's.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria:• Participants will include patients diagnosed with a heritable arrhythmic disorder (including arrhythmogenic, hypertrophic and dilated cardiomyopathy, cardiac sarcoidosis as well as cardiac channelopathies; Long QT syndrome, Brugada syndrome and catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia) followed at the Inherited Cardiac Conditions (ICC) service of St. George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. * Family members of victims of SCD evaluated at the same clinic for risk assessment and diagnosis. These groups include both individuals with clear disease manifestation (termed "affected") as shown by conventional diagnostic approaches (electrocardiography, echocardiography, cardiac MRI, Holter monitoring) as well as potential carriers of disease-causing mutations who, however, may not/not yet manifest any overt sign of cardiovascular abnormalities (termed "carriers"). These are typically family members of probands diagnosed with a heritable arrhythmic disorder or family members of a sudden cardiac death victim. * All individuals that fall in the above categories will be included regardless of their management (medication, devices, and surgical procedures). * Individuals with co-existing conditions will also be included and their medical history will be taken into account when interpreting the results of the immunohistochemical analysis. * Adult individuals (\>18 years of age). * Pregnant women will be included as the approach used is not in any way harmful or uncomfortable. * All individuals must have provided the study team with a signed informed consent in order to participate in the study. Exclusion Criteria:• Children under 18 years of age * Individuals lacking decisional capacity. * Individuals with non-heritable, non-arrhythmic cardiac disorders (such as ischemic heart disease or inflammatory disorders) followed at St. George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. * Non-English speakers will be excluded from the study unless a translator is present who can thoroughly explain to them the research question/plan in order for them to provide an informed consent.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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St George'S Hospital
RECRUITINGLondon, SW17 0RE, United Kingdom
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