Because the SADS condition is passed from parent to child, each child of an affected parent has a 50% chance of inheriting the condition. It is estimated that over half of the 4,000 SADS deaths each year among children, teenagers, or young adults have one of the top two warning signs: 1) family history—of an SADS diagnosis or sudden unexplained death (usually undiagnosed and untreated) of a family member, or 2) fainting.

SADS conditions occur because the heart’s electrical system does not function properly, causing the heart to beat with an abnormal rhythm.