The present European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Guidelines is a European update to the 2006 European/American guidelines for the management of patients with ventricular arrhythmias (VA) and the prevention of sudden cardiac death (SCD). The update is timely considering new insights into the natural history of diseases predisposing to SCD especially for younger individuals and also with the completion of major trials that have impacted management strategies for heart failure (HF).