In the 1980's the CDC (Center for Disease Control) in Atlanta, reported an abnormally high incidence of sudden death in young immigrants from Southeast Asia. Interestingly, the natives knew the problem for many decades. In the Northeast of Thailand, this form of death was known as Lai Tai (death during sleep). The indigenous believe that the young men died during sleep because widow ghosts came to take them away. Many young men actually dress still as women to go to sleep at night - a practice carried out for more than 70 years - with the hope that it would mislead the widow ghost, who then would not take these young men. In Philippines the phenomenon was known as Bangungut (scream followed by sudden death during sleep) and in Japan as Pokkuri (unexpected sudden death at night). The incidence of this form of sudden death has been estimated between 26 and 38 cases per 100,000 inhabitants per year. In Laos it may cause 1 sudden death per 1.000 inhabitants per year. Unexpected sudden death is the most common cause of natural death in young Thai people. It has been only recently discovered that many of these patients suffer the Brugada syndrome. The higher prevalence of this syndrome in some areas can be explained by its genetic transmission.

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