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Risk Factors - Sudden Cardiac Arrest - Who Is at Risk for Sudden Cardiac Arrest?

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The risk of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) increases:

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  • With age
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  • If you are a man. Men are more likely than women to have SCA.
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  • Some studies show that blacks\u2014particularly those with underlying conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease or certain cardiac findings on tests such as an electrocardiogram\u2014have a higher risk for SCA.
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Major Risk Factor

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The major risk factor for SCA is ischemic heart disease. Most people who have SCA have some degree of ischemic heart disease; however, many people may not know that they have heart disease until SCA occurs. Usually their heart disease is \u201csilent\u201d\u2014that is, it has no signs or symptoms. Because of this, doctors and nurses have not detected it.

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Many people who have SCA also have silent, or undiagnosed, heart attacks before sudden cardiac arrest happens. These people have no clear signs of heart attack, and they don\u2019t even realize that they\u2019ve had one. Read more about risk factors for ischemic heart disease.

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Other Risk Factors

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Other risk factors for SCA include:

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  • A personal history of arrhythmias
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  • A personal or family history of SCA or inherited disorders that make you prone to arrhythmias
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  • Drug or alcohol abuse
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  • Heart attack
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  • Heart failure
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Syndicated Content Details:
Source URL: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/subscribe/3531
Source Agency: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Captured Date: 2016-03-17 15:46:00.0
","description":"The risk of sudden cardiac arrest increases with age and is higher in men and may be higher in blacks. The major risk factor for sudden cardiac arrest is coronary heart disease, but there are other risk factors such as known arrhythmia or personal or family history of sudden cardiac arrest or heritable forms of arrhythmia.","id":4142,"mediaType":"Html","name":"Who Is at Risk for Sudden Cardiac Arrest?","sourceUrl":"https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/subscribe/3531"}]}