The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation is dedicated to bringing you the latest news and developments in sudden cardiac arrest prevention and treatment.
What is commotio cordis, which NFL player Damar Hamlin says stopped his heart?
Damar Hamlin has confirmed the cause of his near-fatal collapse on "Monday Night Football" as commotio cordis, a rare event caused by a blow to the chest. "This event was life-changing, but it's not the end of my story," Hamlin said Tuesday. Hamlin, 25, a safety for the Buffalo Bills, spoke at a news conference after working out with the team.… Read More
Are high power electric vehicle chargers safe for patients with cardiac devices?
BARCELONA, SPAIN -- High power electric vehicle chargers are safe for patients with pacemakers and defibrillators, according to a study published today in EP Europace, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and presented at EHRA 2023, a scientific congress of the ESC. “The new high power charging stations for electric cars have the… Read More
Mortality risk grows with depression, anxiety after surviving cardiac arrest
Key takeaways: Survivors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest with anxiety or depression were more likely to die during 14 years of follow-up. Psychological as well as neurological rehabilitation could improve survival. Adults who survived an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and developed depression or anxiety within 1 year were 1.4 times more likely… Read More
All Virginia schools will soon be required to have defibrillators
$400,000 in funding to assist school purchases of AEDs remains tied up in budget negotiations. Under a law recently passed by the General Assembly, Virginia will require public schools to acquire and maintain automated external defibrillators, or AEDs, a medical device commonly used to help a heart return to a normal rhythm in an emergency. It’… Read More
Sedentary time may significantly enlarge adolescents’ heart
In adolescents, sedentary time may increase heart size three times more than moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, a paper published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports concludes. The study was conducted in collaboration between the University of Bristol in the UK, the University of Exeter in the UK, and the… Read More
Study aims to find blocked vessels in cardiac-arrest patients
Emergency physicians and cardiologists at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle are studying whether a wristband sensor can quickly, reliably detect a heart-vessel blockage in people who arrive after experiencing an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Cardiac arrest involves an electrical malfunction that causes an irregular heartbeat, after which the… Read More
The New York Times reports on AEDs in the home
In an article published today, The New York Times reports on placement of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in the home, noting that they can save the lives of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) victims, but the use of personal AEDs is rare. Reporter Gina Kolata highlights cases of resuscitation attempts by individuals using personal AEDs in home… Read More
Is artificial intelligence better at assessing heart health?
Published in Nature, new research from the Smidt Heart Institute shows whether artificial intelligence or sonographers provide most accurate heart evaluations Who can assess and diagnose cardiac function best after reading an echocardiogram: artificial intelligence (AI) or a sonographer? According to Cedars-Sinai investigators and their… Read More
Communication may guide family members’ decisions after sudden cardiac death
Type and timing of communication affects families’ genetic screening rates, finds new study in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes journal Surviving family members of a person who died from sudden cardiac death rely on information from death investigators and health care professionals to process their relative’s death and understand… Read More