The epidemiology of sudden unexpected death: risk factors for men and women in the Framingham Heart Study

Epidemiology of ventricular tachycardia/ventricular fibrillation and sudden cardiac death

Despite the difficulties correlating pathological data with acute clinical events in the field of sudden cardiac death, information useful to both the clinician and the epidemiologist has developed. Sudden cardiac death may be defined broadly. These definitions have varied, but it is now generally recognized that sudden cardiac death should reflect a time span of less than one hour. The epidemiology of sudden cardiac death incorporates many factors, including age, heredity, gender, and race. Coronary risk factors and the history of prior coronary heart disease constitute additional points of importance. Finally, clinical characteristics of the cardiac arrest patient are variable. Improving outcome in prehospital cardiac arrest victims involves a multifactorial approach involving rescue personnel, resuscitation technology, and the participation of the public.

Silent myocardial ischemia: dimensions of the problem in patients with and without angina

Because of its possible relation to sudden cardiac death, silent myocardial ischemia is an important public health issue, especially with regard to persons who are totally asymptomatic. However, this syndrome is not confined to individuals without prior histories of angina or myocardial infarction; it is also being reported with increasing frequency in patients with clinical evidence of coronary artery disease. Although prognostic studies of silent myocardial ischemia in patients with angina are currently in progress, it appears that patients with extensive disease and left ventricular dysfunction are at highest risk for subsequent cardiac events.