Risk Factors and Prevention

Risk factors for SCA include:

• A previous episode of cardiac arrest
• A previous heart attack
• A low (<35%) ejection fraction, or EF (blood pumped out of the heart)
• Marked changes in electrolytes in the blood
• Hyperthyroidism
• Drug abuse.

Underlying heart conditions that may precipitate SCA include:

• Coronary artery disease
• Valvular disease
• Congential heart disease (e.g., hypertrophic cardiomyopathy)
• Electrophysiological abnormalities (e.g., Long QT syndrome, Wolff-Parkinson-White disease, Brugada syndrome).

Since SCA can result from heart disease, the risk factors for heart disease are also risk factors for SCA. These include:

• A family history of heart disease
• Smoking
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Obesity
• Diabetes
• A sedentary lifestyle

To reduce the chances of SCA, it’s important to:

• Live a healthy lifestyle (eat a nutritious well-balanced diet, stay physically active and don’t smoke)
• Get regular medical checkups
• Address the risk factors that can be modified.

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Early Diagnosis and Screening

It is difficult to predict SCA. People at risk for SCA, however--including SCA survivors--may benefit from the following tests:

• Electrocardiogram (ECG)
• Blood tests (e.g., cardiac enzyme, electrolyte, drug, hormone)
• Imaging tests (e.g., chest X-ray, nuclear scan, echocardiogram)
• Electrophysiological (EP) testing and mapping
• Ejection fraction (EF) testing, using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a nuclear medicine scan or computerized tomography (CT) scan
• Coronary catheterization, or angiogram.

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