Ryan Shirk felt completely healthy. A genetic test saved his heart before it was too late
Ryan Shirk, 57, was out walking with his wife, Annette, and their dog one Friday night in January when a cardiologist who he’d never even met called and said, “I need you to get to an emergency room tonight.”
Not the news Ryan and Annette expected to hear – but as Ryan put it: “I’m glad he called because the alternative is he calls and there’s no answer because I’m lying on the ground somewhere.”
Ryan had recently gotten genetic testing at the Heart Center at M Health Fairview, one of just a few cardiology genetics programs in the country, because he had some relatives who died in their sleep for no known reason. That decision may have saved his life. Because he appeared healthy, it’s unlikely his heart problems would have otherwise been caught before it was too late.
“Ryan is the picture of health,” Annette said. “He works out six days a week, plays hockey, and does yoga. He could do a little better on eating vegetables though.”
Genetic testing reveals valuable information
Joan Kornkven, MGC, CGC, a genetic counselor in the Heart Center, said genetic testing can be valuable for people with unexplained heart issues or a strong family history, especially if relatives were diagnosed as a younger age or if a genetic change has already been found in the family.
Genetic testing may help uncover the cause of inherited heart conditions, including cardiomyopathies, heart failure, arrhythmias, and certain types of high cholesterol.
After reviewing Ryan’s family history, including a genetic testing report from a close family member that revealed a LMNA gene mutation, Kornkven recommended that he be tested for the mutation, which can be done with a blood draw or saliva test from home.
The LMNA gene plays an important role in the structure of the heart muscle and its electrical signals. The defect is linked to cardiomyopathy, or heart muscle dysfunction due to abnormalities in the heart muscle architecture. The gene mutation can also lead people to be born with abnormalities in the electrical system of the heart that can cause cardiac arrest, which is when the heart suddenly stops.
The genetic testing decision
Kornkven noted that while genetic testing is not right for everyone, it is well established for certain inherited heart conditions. It can be especially useful when there is a known mutation in the family. Knowing if you carry the mutation could help:
- Detect heart problems early.
- Healthcare providers monitor and recommend treatment.
- Determine if other relatives are at risk.
- Inform decisions about reducing risk.
One advantage of genetic counseling is that it doesn't help just one person, but their whole family. In many cases, once a genetic cause is found in one family member, other relatives can be tested to better understand their risk and take proactive steps to protect their health.
“I want people to feel empowered in their choice to do genetic testing and feel supported in that journey,” Kornkven said. “I'll walk them through their results and the next steps for them and family members.”
Having the gene doesn’t mean Ryan’s heart would stop, but it does increase his risk. The next step was to check Ryan’s heart rhythm with a wearable heart monitor for two weeks, which he did in January 2026.
Unusual findings
Ryan saw his heart monitor results in MyChart on that Friday afternoon in January: third degree conduction blockage of the heart and an irregular rhythm. He knew that wasn't good, but he felt fine and headed out for a walk.
Meanwhile, Rajat Kalra, MD, a genetic cardiologist with M Health Fairview and an associate professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School, had just finished with his final patient before the weekend. A nurse stopped him and asked him to look at a concerning heart monitor report that had just come back.
“Mr. Shirk was frequently experiencing complete heart block, as well as brief, intermittent episodes of fast heart rhythms that can cause sudden cardiac death,” Dr. Kalra said. “That goes to show how valuable his genetic testing was because he basically had no symptoms.”
Without genetic testing – that many people don’t even know is available –Ryan’s warning signs may have gone unnoticed until it was too late. Instead, the early detection gave Ryan and his care team the chance to act quickly — a decision that likely saved his life.
Ryan would need a device that is a combination of a pacemaker, which is like a backup generator for the heart and a defibrillator that would shock Ryan's heart if it went into a fast rhythm.
Expert care from an experienced genetic cardiology team
Dr. Kalra assured Ryan that the team at M Health Fairview University of Minnesota Medical Center had experience and was prepared to treat him right away.
Ryan checked into the emergency department that Friday evening for monitoring. On Monday, he had the device implanted through a small incision in his chest.
Speaking from his office about two weeks later, Ryan said the procedure was straightforward. “I was bruised for about a week, but the incision has healed well,” he said. He added that he had to wait roughly six weeks before returning to the gym full time to allow for proper healing.
Ryan and Annette are now looking forward to hiking with their grown sons again. The family has completed hikes in Scotland, Iceland, and the Arctic Circle. They are so grateful that the team found the problem before tragedy had a chance to strike, and are now raising money for The American Heart Association.
If you think genetic testing could help you, speak to your primary care provider or cardiologist who might recommend genetic testing or schedule through the M Health Fairview Heart Center.
