Incidence of sudden cardiac death three times higher for men; African-American heritage also increases risk. #SS09

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) occurs from an abrupt loss of heart function, and victims are often unaware that they are at risk. Coronary heart disease due to blocked arteries is a common underlying cause of SCD. Another common cause are heart rhythm disorders; sometimes the heart beats rapidly (ventricular tachycardia) or chaotically (ventricular fibrillation) or both.

Researchers examined SCD data from three famous studies: Framingham Heart Study (FHS), the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS) and the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. Lifetime risk was associated with three different variables: cardiac risk factors (of course), male gender, and African-American heritage. For example, the lifetime risk of SCD was one in eight for men and one in 24 for women.

Less sudden than thought? About two-thirds of cardiac arrests are preceded by symptoms. Good news IF you recognize symptoms.

A team of researchers in Japan report that about two-thirds (61%) of sudden cardiac arrests were preceded by well-known cardiac symptoms. The most frequent symptoms included shortness of breath, chest pain and/or fainting – 59.8% a few minutes before arrest and 25% within an hour before.

Comment: In the first report, its importance derives from the studies analyzed. Individually, these are three of the largest cardiac and health data sets in the United States, so using these studies to evaluate a specific question provides insights likely to be very reliable.

As for the second study, this is critically important. Previous data suggested that for about half of all people with SCD the first symptom is sudden death. How do you like that for a first symptom? This study, however, says that in many cases there are symptoms that something’s wrong. Unfortunately people (yeah, mostly men) don’t want to think of symptoms as being a heart attack. A doctor even told me once of getting a call from a cardiology colleague who said he wasn’t feeling well and described the symptoms of a heart attack! Even trained cardiologists (again, in this case, a man) may want to think it’s that pepperoni pizza they just ate that’s the problem and not a heart attack.

Please: Learn more about heart attacks. We wrote this for the American College of Cardiology’s patient website known as CardioSmart. http://bit.ly/2Pn5E0 And if you’re alone when these symptoms strike, and you’re too stubborn to call 911, call a friend or go somewhere with plenty of people. At least then, when your heart stops, there is a chance someone will call 911 for you and maybe perform CPR so you can live again – when you hopefully will take better care of yourself.