Sudden Cardiac Arrest in India: A Growing Concern

Sudden Cardiac Arrest(SCA) is a sudden and unexpected life-threatening emergency that results from an electrical disturbance in the heart. In such cases the heart stops the pumping action, stopping the blood flow to the rest of the body.

The rhythm of the heartbeat is controlled by an internal electrical system in the heart. There are problems that can cause abnormal heart rhythms, called Arrhythmias.

Heart Arrhythmias is a condition where the heart may beat too fast, or too slow or it can stop beating.

Now Sudden Cardiac Arrest(SCA) happens when the heart develops an arrhythmia condition which results in a sudden stop of the heartbeat. This condition is different from a Heart Attack where there is a blockage of the coronary arteries. It is often caused by a blood clot, but the heart normally continues to beat even though the blood supply to the heart is disrupted.

What causes SCA?

Sudden Cardiac Arrest have several potential causes:

• The most common cause of cardiac arrest is a condition of arrhythmia called Ventricular Fibrillation – an abnormal heart rhythm where the lower chamber of the heart(ventricles) beat irregularly i.e when rapid, electrical impulses cause the heart to quiver instead of pumping blood.
• Other Medical causes such as – Coronary heart disease, choking, hypothermia, and electrocution.
• External Causes such as – Drowning, trauma, asphyxia, drug overdose, and dramatic drop in blood pressure.

Heart conditions that can lead to sudden cardiac arrest?

The heart has its own Electrical Stimulation unlike other muscles in the body, which rely on nerve connections to receive the electrical stimulation to function called the sinus node. The sinus node generates electrical impulses and also coordinates the pumping of blood from the heart to the rest of the body.

A person with pre-existing heart conditions such as :

Coronary artery disease: Most cases of SCA happen to people who have coronary artery disease. CAD is a disease in which the blood-supplying artery gets clogged with cholesterol and other waxy deposits, limiting the blood supply to the heart.

Risk Factors for CAD can be:

• High LDL Cholesterol
• Low HDL Cholesterol
• High Blood Pressure
• Diabetes
• Smoking
• Family History
• After the age of 45
• Obesity or overweight

Cardiomyopathy: Often known as an enlarged heart. This is a disease that affects the heart muscles making it hard to pump blood to the rest of the body. This disease results in making the heart muscle abnormal which leads to damage to heart tissue.

Congenital Heart Disease: Nowadays even small kids are also getting CAD problems. Congenital Heart Disease is a defect from birth in the structure of the heart. The problem can affect – the heart walls, the heart valves, or the blood vessels.

Heart Attack: The heart is a muscle, and like all muscles, it requires an oxygen-rich blood supply. This is provided to the heart by coronary arteries. A heart Attack occurs if there is a blood clot in these arteries which results in blockage resulting in a heart attack.

Prevention: Diagnosis and Test

There is no 1 way to know the risk of SCA, so reducing the risk is the best strategy. No single test can diagnose Heart disease but getting a regular checkup done can help you to live longer and healthier.

Tests that one should do if he/she feels that they are having the symptoms and complications:

ECG:?is a routine test that is used to check the electrical activity of the heartbeat. This test shows how fast the heart is beating and its rhythm( regular or irregular).

Blood Test:?A blood test is required which will check the level of fat, cholesterol, sugar and protein in the body. Things should always be normal. Abnormal levels may be the cause and might increase the risk for SCA.

Stress Test:?Tension and Stress affects the body.

A stress test can come up with possible signs of heart-related problems, such as:

• Abnormal changes in the heart rhythm
• Abnormal changes in the blood pressure
• Chest Pain

Stay physically active by exercising daily

Eat a Nutritious and balanced diet

Don’t smoke and use alcohol ( more than one to two times a day )