| Cardiac Deaths Increase Among the Young | |
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Sudden cardiac death (SCD), typically considered a danger mainly to the middle-aged, showed a 10-percent increase in persons between ages 15 and 34 over the last decade, according to a report just released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
The CDC reports that occurrences of sudden cardiac deaths in the 15-34 age group rose from 2,719 in 1989 to 3,000 in 1996. Alarmingly, although the numbers are very small, the SCD death rate increased by 30-percent in young women. Death rates were also higher among young African-Americans than whites.
The CDC reported the data at the American Heart Association’s 41st Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention, in San Antonio, Texas.
In his presentation to the Heart Association, CDC Director Jeffrey Koplan, M.D., M.P.H. stated "We can’t fully explain this increase in SCD among young people, particularly young women. However, smoking cigarettes, obesity, and lack of physical activity are high among adolescents. Poor recognition of heart events in younger patients and delayed application of cardiopulmonary resuscitation or defibrillation may also be contributing to this increase."
Typical
causes of SCD are ischemic heart disease, a restriction of the flow of blood to
the heart; irregular heart beat, or arrhythmia; or a general deterioration of
the heart muscle itself known as "cardiomyopathy." While arrhythmia and cardiomyopathy are often inherited or result from a structural
problem in the heart, ischemic heart disease is more often associated with
physical inactivity, poor diet and smoking. The
CDC recommends that lifestyle changes, plus early identification of risk and prompt attention
when signs of heart distress are recognized, could help reduce SCD in people
ages 15-34, according to the CDC. "Adopting a heart-healthy lifestyle that includes 30 minutes of moderate
physical activity on most days of the week, a low-fat diet with lots of fruits
and vegetables, and either stopping smoking or not starting, are three steps we
all can take to help reduce the risk of sudden cardiac death," said George
A. Mensah, M.D., chief of cardiovascular health at CDC and co-author of the
report. "Families with a history of early heart disease or sudden cardiac
death should talk to their doctors about screening younger family members."
