Research in Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy

Many of the genetic causes of both left dominant Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy (AC) and Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC) are now known. Knowledge of the genetic basis is enabling us to better understand why and how patients with these conditions develop problems. However, there are still many questions that require ongoing work and there is a critical need to bridge the gap between our knowledge of the genetic basis and development of treatments for these conditions.

Improving Our Understanding of AC and ARVC

At the University of Michigan, we are dedicated to improving our understanding of AC and ARVC. We led the largest comparison between the primary genetic cause of left dominant AC (caused by variants in the gene desmoplakin, or DSP ) and the primary genetic cause of right dominant ARVC (caused by variants in the gene plakophilin-2, or PKP2), which has improved our ability to discriminate these conditions (see our article in AHA Journals Circulation).

Participate in AC and ARVC Research

We are actively enrolling in a registry for patients with these conditions and encourage you to contact Dr. Eric Smith if you are interested in participation.

Get Evaluated

For an expert clinical consultation, please contact the Michigan Medicine Cardiovascular Center at 888-287-1082 to set up an appointment with our AC team. Please ask to speak with our program nurse coordinator, Barb Steeves.