It might be plausible that myocardial hypertrophy, whatever the underlying cause, may lead to potassium channel downregulation and may result in decreased repolarization reserve and increased propensity for arrhythmias including Torsades de Pointes, a characteristic arrhythmia that can degenerate into ventricular fibrillation and culminate in sudden cardiac death. This evidence concerns the gene KCNA3 and cardiac arrhythmia.