PITTSBURGH, PA -- The American Heart Association is a supporter of the Cardiac Arrest Survivor Alliance™ (CASA) program of the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation. CASA is an online resource for people who have been impacted by sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) or the abrupt loss of heart function. The online community aims to help survivors and loved ones, as well as rescuers and advocates.
The American Heart Association is the world's leading voluntary organization dedicated to building healthier lives for all, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke, and a pioneer in the efforts to increase the survival rate from sudden cardiac arrest with its Nation of Lifesavers™ efforts.
"Working with cardiac arrest survivors and their lifesavers is important at every stage of the chain of survival – from preparation – to stepping in during an emergency – to supporting those in recovery."
The CASA online community offers resources for peer support, evidence-based information, and access to experts to help those impacted by SCA recover, re-engage and thrive.
More than 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur in the United States each year, and sudden cardiac arrest is often fatal if cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillator shocks are not delivered within minutes to restore normal heart rhythm. As the Association works to double the SCA survival rate by 2030, more survivors and family members will likely need the support of survivor resources available within the CASA online community.
"We are honored that the American Heart Association supports the Cardiac Arrest Survivor Alliance™," said Mary Newman, Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation president. "We greatly appreciate their efforts to promote CASA so that more survivors, co-survivors, and rescuers will learn about the resources available through CASA."
According to a scientific statement from the American Heart Association on sudden cardiac arrest survivorship (1), there is a strong interconnection between the mind, heart and body that affects the healing process for people impacted by SCA including survivors, family members, and rescuers.
"The American Heart Association has a goal to double survival from cardiac arrest by 2030," said Tammy Gregory, executive vice president of the American Heart Association. "Working with cardiac arrest survivors and their lifesavers is important at every stage of the chain of survival – from preparation – to stepping in during an emergency – to supporting those in recovery. These efforts are critical for our community of survivors, advocates, and lifesavers to continue to grow."
(1) Sudden Cardiac Arrest Survivorship: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association, Sawyer et al, 12 Feb 2020 https://doi.org/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000747 Circulation. 2020;141:e654–e685
SOURCE: Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation
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