National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center, a program of the National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences

Long QT syndrome 1



Other Names:
LQT1; Romano-Ward syndrome; Ward-Romano syndrome; LQT1; Romano-Ward syndrome; Ward-Romano syndrome; Ventricular fibrillation with prolonged QT interval See More
Categories:

Romano-Ward syndrome is the most common form of inherited long QT syndrome. Symptoms include arrhythmia, fainting, cardiac arrest, and sudden death. There are six different types of this syndrome, long QT 1 through 6. Each type is caused by a change in a different gene. The most prevalent form of long QT syndrome is long QT type 1. Long QT type 1 is caused by changes in the KCNQ1 gene. Romano-Ward syndrome is inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion.[1]
Last updated: 4/15/2011

This table lists symptoms that people with this disease may have. For most diseases, symptoms will vary from person to person. People with the same disease may not have all the symptoms listed. This information comes from a database called the Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) . The HPO collects information on symptoms that have been described in medical resources. The HPO is updated regularly. Use the HPO ID to access more in-depth information about a symptom.

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Medical Terms Other Names
Learn More:
HPO ID
100% of people have these symptoms
Prolonged QTc interval 0005184
30%-79% of people have these symptoms
Abnormal T-wave 0005135
Sinus bradycardia 0001688
Syncope
Fainting spell
0001279
5%-29% of people have these symptoms
Abnormal autonomic nervous system physiology 0012332
Abnormal cardiac exercise stress test
Abnormal treadmill test
0500018
Seizure 0001250
Sudden cardiac death
Premature sudden cardiac death
0001645
Torsade de pointes 0001664
1%-4% of people have these symptoms
Abnormality of prenatal development or birth 0001197
Hypokalemia
Low blood potassium levels
0002900
Percent of people who have these symptoms is not available through HPO
Abnormality of the ear 0000598
Autosomal dominant inheritance 0000006
Prolonged QT interval 0001657
Ventricular fibrillation 0001663
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Last updated: 7/1/2020

Making a diagnosis for a genetic or rare disease can often be challenging. Healthcare professionals typically look at a person’s medical history, symptoms, physical exam, and laboratory test results in order to make a diagnosis. The following resources provide information relating to diagnosis and testing for this condition. If you have questions about getting a diagnosis, you should contact a healthcare professional.

Testing Resources

  • The Genetic Testing Registry (GTR) provides information about the genetic tests for this condition. The intended audience for the GTR is health care providers and researchers. Patients and consumers with specific questions about a genetic test should contact a health care provider or a genetics professional.
  • Orphanet lists international laboratories offering diagnostic testing for this condition.

If you need medical advice, you can look for doctors or other healthcare professionals who have experience with this disease. You may find these specialists through advocacy organizations, clinical trials, or articles published in medical journals. You may also want to contact a university or tertiary medical center in your area, because these centers tend to see more complex cases and have the latest technology and treatments.

If you can’t find a specialist in your local area, try contacting national or international specialists. They may be able to refer you to someone they know through conferences or research efforts. Some specialists may be willing to consult with you or your local doctors over the phone or by email if you can't travel to them for care.

You can find more tips in our guide, How to Find a Disease Specialist. We also encourage you to explore the rest of this page to find resources that can help you find specialists.

Healthcare Resources


Related diseases are conditions that have similar signs and symptoms. A health care provider may consider these conditions in the table below when making a diagnosis. Please note that the table may not include all the possible conditions related to this disease.

Conditions with similar signs and symptoms from Orphanet
Typical cases are so characteristic that they do not require differential diagnosis. For borderline cases, the following conditions should be considered: catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT), hypertrophic cardiomyopathy orthostatic hypotension, Jervell and Lange-Nielsen syndrome and other forms of LQTS, Brugada syndrome (see these terms), as well as vasovagal syncope, ventricular tachycardia, drug-induced LQTS and epilepsy.
Visit the Orphanet disease page for more information.

Research helps us better understand diseases and can lead to advances in diagnosis and treatment. This section provides resources to help you learn about medical research and ways to get involved.

Clinical Research Resources

  • Orphanet lists European clinical trials, research studies, and patient registries enrolling people with this condition. 
  • The Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tool (RePORT) provides access to reports, data, and analyses of research activities at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), including information on NIH expenditures and the results of NIH-supported research. Although these projects may not conduct studies on humans, you may want to contact the investigators to learn more. To search for studies, enter the disease name in the "Text Search" box. Then click "Submit Query".

Support and advocacy groups can help you connect with other patients and families, and they can provide valuable services. Many develop patient-centered information and are the driving force behind research for better treatments and possible cures. They can direct you to research, resources, and services. Many organizations also have experts who serve as medical advisors or provide lists of doctors/clinics. Visit the group’s website or contact them to learn about the services they offer. Inclusion on this list is not an endorsement by GARD.

Organizations Supporting this Disease


These resources provide more information about this condition or associated symptoms. The in-depth resources contain medical and scientific language that may be hard to understand. You may want to review these resources with a medical professional.

Where to Start

  • Genetics Home Reference (GHR) contains information on Long QT syndrome 1. This website is maintained by the National Library of Medicine.
  • The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) has a report for patients and families about this condition. NORD is a patient advocacy organization for individuals with rare diseases and the organizations that serve them.

In-Depth Information

  • GeneReviews provides current, expert-authored, peer-reviewed, full-text articles describing the application of genetic testing to the diagnosis, management, and genetic counseling of patients with specific inherited conditions.
  • Medscape Reference provides information on this topic. You may need to register to view the medical textbook, but registration is free.
  • MeSH® (Medical Subject Headings) is a terminology tool used by the National Library of Medicine. Click on the link to view information on this topic.
  • The Monarch Initiative brings together data about this condition from humans and other species to help physicians and biomedical researchers. Monarch’s tools are designed to make it easier to compare the signs and symptoms (phenotypes) of different diseases and discover common features. This initiative is a collaboration between several academic institutions across the world and is funded by the National Institutes of Health. Visit the website to explore the biology of this condition.
  • Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) is a catalog of human genes and genetic disorders. Each entry has a summary of related medical articles. It is meant for health care professionals and researchers. OMIM is maintained by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. 
  • Orphanet is a European reference portal for information on rare diseases and orphan drugs. Access to this database is free of charge.
  • PubMed is a searchable database of medical literature and lists journal articles that discuss Long QT syndrome 1. Click on the link to view a sample search on this topic.

Questions sent to GARD may be posted here if the information could be helpful to others. We remove all identifying information when posting a question to protect your privacy. If you do not want your question posted, please let us know.


  1. Sovari AA, Kocheril AG, Assadi R Baas AS, Zareba W, Rosero S. Long QT syndrome. eMedicine. 2010; http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/157826-overview . Accessed 4/15/2011.