Study Highlights:

• African Americans have a much higher lifetime risk of sudden cardiac death than whites, especially among women. The lifetime risk was double overall and three times higher in African American women compared to white women.
• Disparities in income and education, as well as hypertension, diabetes, and other risk factors, accounted for much of the difference in risk.

DALLAS, TX--African Americans – especially African American women – have a significantly higher risk of sudden cardiac death during their lifetime than whites, and much of the disparity can be attributed to income and education levels, according to new research in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation.

DALLAS, TX--Nearly half of all U.S. adults have some type of cardiovascular disease, a percentage that reflects recently updated guidelines for treating high blood pressure, according to a new report. High blood pressure – also known as hypertension – can lead to heart attack, heart failure and stroke.

"We're becoming more and more aware of the importance of high blood pressure. Levels we used to think were normal we now associate with worse outcomes, and treating them makes a big difference," said Dr. Emelia J. Benjamin, a professor of cardiology at Boston University and chair of the group that wrote the American Heart Association's "Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics-2019 Update".

The Citizen CPR Foundation is proud to host the Cardiac Arrest Survival Summit (CASSummit)—the new ECCU—December 10-13, with pre-conference workshops on the 9^th and 10^th at the Hyatt Regency in Seattle, WA. Interested parties are invited to submit presentations to the conference, which is devoted to improving sudden cardiac arrest survival rates worldwide.

The CASSummit is dedicated to facilitating:

PHOENIX, AZ--An increasing proportion of all cardiac arrests occurring outside of the hospital are related to drug overdoses, according to a new study conducted by two University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix students.

Fourth-year medical student Gabriella Smith and second-year medical student Sam Beger co-authored a manuscript showing that 15 people suffer sudden cardiac arrest every day in Arizona and two of those are related to opioid overdose. This was the first statewide study to show trends in overdose-related, out-of-hospital cardiac arrests.

Smith and Beger worked on the study beginning in spring 2017 with Bentley Bobrow, MD, associate director of the Arizona Emergency Medicine Research Center – Phoenix and professor of emergency medicine at the UA College of Medicine – Tucson. Their research was published online this week in the journal Resuscitation.

The Philips and American Heart Association Connected Pulse Program first-of-a kind initiative, combines education, training and technology for an integrated customized solution in major metropolitan areas around the world

CINCINNATI, OH--More than 3 in 5 Americans doubt their ability to correctly use an automated external defibrillator, while slightly more than half say they are proficient in performing CPR, according to the results of a recent survey.

In the survey of more than 2,000 adults, conducted by Harris Poll on behalf of workplace first aid services and supplies provider Cintas Corp., 63 percent of respondents reported a lack of confidence in using an AED, and only 54 percent said they felt comfortable administering CPR.

Sudden cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death and some hospitals are equipped to play leading role in care.

Key Takeaways

• Regional cardiac arrest centers would feature hospitals with robust care such as adequate staffing of cardiology, neurology, and critical care teams.
• In a regional approach to cardiac arrest care, patients treated at the top regional hospitals had a 27% decrease in hazard of death.
• Diverse teams of clinicians are needed to treat cardiac arrest patients.

Cardiac arrest patients would benefit from a regionalized system of care similar to tiered trauma centers, recent research indicates.

DALLAS, TX--Sudden, unpredictable drops in personal income during young adulthood are associated with an increased risk of developing heart disease and/or dying from any cause, according to new research in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation.

In the United States, the recent rise in income inequality suggests that a larger proportion of the population faces poverty and economic difficulties. In addition, while most people experience some income change, income volatility has been on the rise and has reached a record high level since 1980.

The results contribute important evidence to an ongoing controversy about whether or not MPH is associated with sudden cardiac death.

BUFFALO, NY-- With more than 1.8 million children in the U.S. being treated annually with drugs for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the possibility that such drugs could damage their hearts has been a significant cause of concern for parents and physicians alike.

Now, the results of a long-term National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded study published last month in Pediatric Research could allay many of those concerns.

The obvious reason for the AED shortage is the fact these life-saving devices are, with a few exceptions, not legally required at most locations. But voluntary deployments are clearly not getting the job done on their own.

This is the second in a series of articles on the state of affairs in public access automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and the challenges and opportunities we face in deploying them for optimum community preparedness. For the first, see "Squad Goals: Moving the Needle on Sudden Cardiac Arrest Requires a New Model." (October 2018 OH&S).