What are the risk factors of sudden cardiac arrest?
There are many factors that can increase a person’s risk of sudden cardiac arrest and sudden cardiac death. The two leading risk factors include: • Previous heart attack (75 percent of SCD cases are linked to a previous heart attack) — A person’s risk of SCD is higher during the first six months after a heart attack • Coronary artery disease (80 percent of SCD cases are linked with this disease) — Risk factors for coronary artery disease include smoking, family history of cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol or an enlarged heart. Other risk factors include: • Ejection fraction of less than 40 percent, combined with ventricular tachycardia • Prior episode of sudden cardiac arrest • Family history of sudden cardiac arrest or SCD • Personal or family history of certain abnormal heart rhythms including long QT syndrome, Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome, extremely low heart rates or heart block • Ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation after a heart attack • History of conge
