Methods for Assessing Risk for Cardiac Dysrythmia in a Human Subject

A method of detecting a risk of KCNJ2 gene mutation associated cardiac dysrhythmia in a human subject who has no outward signs of Andersen's Syndrome, comprising:

• a) obtaining a biological sample from the subject;
• b) preparing a copy of a KCNJ2 gene from the sample;
• c) screening for A440T, T635C, G658A, C880T, G881A, G1127T, and G1135A alterations in the copy of the KCNJ2 gene;
• d) identifying the presence or absence of an alteration, and
• e) assessing the subject's risk of cardiac dysrhythmia associated with mutations in the KCNJ2 gene based on the presence or absence of an alteration in the subject's KCNJ2 gene, wherein if an alteration in the KCNJ2 gene is detected the subject is assessed an increased risk for cardiac dysrhythmia.

A method of detecting a risk of KCNJ2 gene mutation associated sudden infant death syndrome in a human infant subject comprising:

• a) obtaining a biological sample from the subject;
• b) preparing a copy of a KCNJ2 gene from the sample;
• c) screening for A440T, T635C, G658A, C880T, G881A, G1127T, and G1135A alterations in the copy of the KCNJ2 gene;
• d) identifying the presence or absence of an alteration, and
• e) assessing the subject's risk of sudden infant death associated with mutations in the KCNJ2 gene based on the presence or absence of an alteration in the subject's KCNJ2 gene, wherein if an alteration in the KCNJ2 gene is detected the subject is assessed to have an increased risk for sudden infant death.