Top in cardiology: Sudden cardiac death among athletes; bystander CPR improves outcomes
Sudden cardiac death is the main cause of medical death among recreational and professional athletes and remains a public health issue, according to a review published in The Lancet.
Healio spoke with Jonathan H. Kim, MD, council chair and director of sports cardiology and associate professor of medicine in the division of cardiology at Emory University, concerning risk variation among different demographics and best practices for the prevention of sudden cardiac death.
Men and self-identified Black athletes are at higher risk for sudden cardiac death compared with women and white athletes, but “the reasons for that are unknown,” Kim said. The primary cause behind cardiac death will differ based on age, he added.
“In terms of the most common causes, it depends on what type of athlete you are. If you are a young athlete, the differential diagnosis is pretty wide. It is generally either a structural abnormality, an arrhythmia syndrome or something acquired, like myocarditis...the most common cause overall is an autopsy-negative case. For the masters athlete, aged 35 years of age or older, the most common cause is coronary artery disease,” Kim told Healio.
It was the top story in cardiology last week.
In another top story, people who went into cardiac arrest and received bystander CPR within 10 minutes had significantly improved survival and brain function outcomes compared to those who did not receive CPR.
Read these and more top stories in cardiology below:
Q&A: ‘We can do better’ preventing, managing sudden cardiac death among US athletes
Sudden cardiac death among athletes, both recreational and master level, remains a public health issue, disparately affecting players of certain sports and demographic groups, researchers reported. Read more.
Bystander CPR up to 10 minutes after cardiac arrest still can save a life
Adults who received bystander CPR within the first few minutes of an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest were much more likely to survive and have better brain function than those who did not, researchers reported during a presentation at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions. Read more.
Fear of recurrence consistent source of stress for heart attack survivors
Survivors of an acute MI reported fear of a recurrence up to 8 months later, along with high levels of perceived stress that were distinct from depression and anxiety symptoms, according to a presentation by researchers at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions. Read more.
Yearly lipid fluctuations linked to dementia, cognitive decline in older adults
High year-to-year cholesterol variability corresponded with increased risk for cognitive decline and dementia among older adults, a speaker reported at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions. Read more.
Q&A: Considerations for arrhythmia risk management after COVID-19 infection
SARS-CoV-2 infection and subsequent COVID-19 are linked to elevated risk for abnormal heart rhythms, and understanding underlying mechanisms and management strategies are clinically important objectives, researchers reported. Read more.