The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation is dedicated to bringing you the latest news and developments in sudden cardiac arrest prevention and treatment.
Signs identified that precede sudden arrhythmic death syndrome in young people
Key take-aways A retrospective observational study found that 22% of cases of sudden cardiac death were due to sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS). Syncope, seizure-like episodes and changes in electrocardiograms were common signs that preceded SADS. Identifying these signs is important during healthcare visits and also during… Read More
Use of antidepressant medication linked to substantial increase in risk of sudden cardiac death
Key takeaways: Sudden cardiac death (SCD) refers to an unexpected death of a person, believed to be caused by a heart-related issue. It occurs within one hour of the onset of symptoms in witnessed cases or within 24 hours of the person being last seen alive in unwitnessed cases. Patients with psychiatric disorders have double the risk of… Read More
SCA Foundation Joins Genetic Cardiomyopathy Awareness Consortium; Free Genetic Testing Available
Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation Joins Genetic Cardiomyopathy Awareness Consortium (GCAC) The Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) Foundation has recently announced its partnership with the Genetic Cardiomyopathy Awareness Consortium (GCAC). This collaboration aims to enhance awareness and understanding of the genetic factors contributing to… Read More
Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest in Apparently Healthy, Young Adults
Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in apparently healthy adults younger than 40 years occurs at a rate of 4 to 14 per 100,000 person-years globally. In the US, only about 10% of the estimated 350,000 to 450,000 annual cases survive. Among these young adults, around 60% die before reaching medical care, while 9% to 16% survive to hospital discharge,… Read More
Preventable cardiac deaths during marathons are down, Emory study finds
While more people than ever are running marathons in the U.S., the risk of dying from a heart attack during a run has fallen dramatically in recent years. That’s a key conclusion from a new study by Jonathan Kim, associate professor in the Emory School of Medicine. Kim’s research is a follow-up to a study he published in 2012 — the first… Read More
Survival of athletes after sudden cardiac arrest varies by race
The overall survival rate of athletes who suffer sudden cardiac arrest has improved over the past decade, but the likelihood of surviving varies by race, where the cardiac arrest occurred and what athletes were doing when they collapsed, according to clinical research presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session and… Read More
Sarah Katz Caffeine Safety Act Reintroduced
This week, Congressman Rob Menendez (NJ-08) reintroduced the Sarah Katz Caffeine Safety Act, bipartisan legislation to increase transparency of caffeine in food and beverages. The bill is named in memory of Sarah Katz, who died in 2022 after consuming an energy drink. The bill introduces a number of new policies on caffeine in beverages,… Read More
2025 National CPR and AED Rally and March Event
The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation is pleased to participate in the 5th Annual National CPR and AED Rally and March, hosted by Every Second Counts CPR. Please see below for a message about the event and a new project, Turning the Tide. For more information about the activities, visit the Every Second Counts CPR website. --- The National CPR… Read More
Resuscitation in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest – it’s how quickly it is done, rather than who does it
Key takeaways: The proportion of bystanders (as opposed to emergency medical services) performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on individuals experiencing out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) has steadily increased over the past decades. The study emphasises that the speed of CPR initiation, rather than who performs it, is crucial to… Read More