A gene that can lead to sudden death among young people and athletes has been identified.

An international team of researchers used genetic sequencing and bioinformatics analysis to identify the gene, called CDH2.

They found it causes arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC), a genetic disorder that predisposes patients to cardiac arrest, which is a major cause of unexpected death in seemingly healthy young people.

Sudden cardiac death is the leading cause of death in young athletes. Inherited forms of cardiomyopathy, or heart muscle disease, can also cause sudden cardiac arrest death in people under the age of 35.

In ARVC, the heart tissue is replaced by fatty and fibrous tissue. This process encourages the development of cardiac arrhythmias such as ventricular fibrillation, in which the heart’s lower chambers begin to quiver erratically.

This deadly heartbeat irregularity can result in death within minutes. More about the discovery can be found in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Genetics.