The potential for screening young individuals for increased risk of sudden cardiac death has been actively debated within the medical community, as well as in the public. Different views from both sides of the Atlantic on the feasibility and rationality of such an approach are enriching the debate.
Data from a Japanese nationwide electrocardiographic screening program on school children provided further valuable insights into this topic. In the following article, evidence on the utility of mass screening, with the inclusion of electrocardiography, is critically discussed.