Men vulnerable to sudden heart death
Friday March 30th, 2012
Cardiac arrest caused by irregular heart rhythms affects mainly men, according to an analysis published today.
Footballer
Patrice Muamba, aged 23, suffered cardiac arrest during an FA cup quarter-final
earlier this month - but has survived the illness.
The new analysis of deaths suggests that Muamba is typical of victims of the disease.
The audit by the Health and Social Care Information Centre - formerly the NHS Information Centre - found the average age of death was 33 and 62 per cent of victims were males.
Most deaths occur during the daytime before 6pm. Some 17 per cent died undertaking exertion - but 33 per cent died while resting.
The findings come from 317 cases reported by 17 hospitals over three years.
Today the researchers called for more hospitals to take part in the audit.
Researcher Dr Perry Elliott, of the Heart Hospital, University College London, said:
"While Sudden Adult Death Syndrome kills a relatively small number of people in England and Wales, recent events in the sporting world highlight the devastating impact that the condition continues to have on people.
"As this report shows, much progress has been made but we still, need NHS trusts to provide more data to build on this basic analysis and to improve the outlook for families affected by this fatal condition."
Tags: Fitness | Heart Health | Men’s Health | UK News
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