Sudden Cardiac Death Facts
Sudden cardiac death (SCD–also called sudden arrest) is death resulting from an abrupt loss of heart function (cardiac arrest). Do you know the facts and statistics surrounding SCD?
• The most common underlying reason for patients to die suddenly from cardiac arrest is coronary heart disease (fatty buildups in the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle).
• Most of the cardiac arrests that lead to sudden death occur when the electrical impulses in the diseased heart become rapid (ventricular tachycardia) or chaotic (ventricular fibrillation) or both.
• Some cardiac arrests are due to extreme slowing of the heart. This is called bradycardia.
SCD Statistics according to eMedicine
• Of the 325,000 deaths attributed to SCD in the United States each year, a large portion (as many as 40%) are unwitnessed.
• Men have a higher incidence of SCD than women do, with a ratio of 3:1.
• The incidence of SCD parallels the incidence of CAD, with the peak of SCD occurring in people aged 45-75 years.
• Some studies suggest that a greater proportion of coronary deaths were “sudden” in blacks compared to whites. In a report by Gillum et al on SCD from 1980-1985, the percentage of CAD deaths occurring out of the hospital and in EDs was found to be higher in blacks than in whites
One of the most important ways one can prevent SCD is through knowledge of the risks and symptoms. Join us on Wednesday, February 18th for the Sudden Cardiac Death Live Chat.
Related posts:
- Men at Higher Risk for Sudden Cardiac Death Findings presented at the annual meeting of the American Heart...
- Cardiac Arrests Deaths Down But Not for All Many more Americans are surviving cardiac arrests these days, especially...
- Vitamin D: Healthy for Your Heart Several recent studies have shown that low vitamin D levels...
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
