Finnish Genetic Study for Arrhythmic Events (FinGesture is a prospective case-control study assessing the characteristics and genetic background of consecutive series of autopsy verified out-of-hospital victims of SCD vs. survivors of an acute coronary event in a specific geographical area in northern Finland.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Sudden cardiac death verified by medicolegal autopsy (cases)
• Acute coronary event (increased troponin levels/ECG markers of ischemia/angina pectoris; two out of three criteria) (controls).

Exclusion Criteria:

• Sudden death due to other causes (cases).
• Acute coronary event patients who died during hospitalization (controls).

Consecutive victims of sudden cardiac death verified by medicolegal autopsy (cases).

Acute coronary event patients admitted to the Oulu University Hospital who survived to be discharged from the hospital (controls).