TOPIC: Sudden Cardiac Death Awareness Monday, February 21, 2010
Drew Pickett, MD: electrophysiologist cardiologist Jerry
Franklin, MD: cardiologist Saint Thomas Heart News notes via
www.webmd.com Sudden Cardiac Death AWARENESS Sudden cardiac
death (SCD) is a sudden, unexpected death caused by loss of
heart function (sudden cardiac arrest). It is the largest cause
of natural death in the U.S., causing about 325,000 adult deaths
in the United States each year. SCD is responsible for half of
all heart disease deaths. SCD occurs most frequently in adults
in their mid-30s to mid-40s, and affects men twice as often as
it does women. SCD is rare in children, affecting only 1 to 2
per 100,000 children each year. How Is Sudden Cardiac Arrest
Different from a Heart Attack? Sudden cardiac arrest is not a
heart attack (myocardial infarction) but can occur during a
heart attack. Heart attacks occur when there is a blockage in
one or more of the arteries to the heart, preventing the heart
from receiving enough oxygen-rich