|
Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD) often occurs in active, outwardly healthy people with no known heart disease or other health problems. But the truth is that sudden cardiac death is not a random event. Most victims do have heart diseases or other health problems, although they may not know it.
There are numerous contributors to cardiac arrest, but two of the most important ones are:
- A previous heart attack: 75% of the people who die of SCD show signs of a previous heart attack.
- Coronary artery disease: 80% of SCD’s victims have signs of coronary artery disease. This is a condition in which the arteries that supply blood to the heart are narrowed or blocked.
There are also a number of symptoms and signs that may indicate that a person is at increased risk for SCD. These include:
- An abnormal heart rate or rhythm (arrhythmia) of unknown cause
- An unusually rapid heart rate (tachycardia) that comes and goes, even when the person is at rest
- Episodes of fainting (called syncope) of unknown cause
- A low ejection fraction (EF): The ejection fraction is a measurement of how much blood is pumped by the ventricles with each heart beat. A healthy heart pumps 55% or more of its blood with each beat. People at highest risk for SCD have ejection fractions of less than 40%, combined with ventricular tachycardia, an abnormally fast heart rate in the lower chambers of the heart.
|
