Researchers identify new genetic cause of arrhythmia and develop therapy

A rare and deadly form of inherited arrhythmia has been identified by researchers, who have developed a method to treat it. Arrhythmia is a malfunction of the heart's electrical system that causes irregular heartbeats. Most people experience harmless skipped beats or fluttering. However, nearly 4 million Americans have heart arrhythmias that range from bothersome to deadly.