Cardiac arrest in young people .. What are the causes? And what German scientists revealed about it?

What are the causes of sudden cardiac arrest in young people?

What is the new recommendation made by German scientists regarding cardiac arrest under the age of 50?

And what does the Mayo Clinic say about sudden death in young people?

Sudden cardiac arrest in young people

Sudden Cardiac Arrest is rare in young adults but can occur, Dr. Lindsey May and Dr. Shaggy Menon report in the American Academy of Pediatrics' healthychildren website.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 2,000 seemingly healthy young adults under the age of 25 die in the United States each year from sudden cardiac arrest.

These deaths leave behind an enormous and devastating impact on families and communities.

But there are ways to help identify risk factors that can help prevent these tragedies.

What is sudden cardiac arrest?

Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is a life-threatening emergency that results from a "sudden and unexpected loss of cardiac function resulting in loss of consciousness and collapse."

Sudden discontinuation can be fatal if not treated within minutes.

Out-of-hospital survival depends on nearby people calling the emergency, and immediate emergency response by bystanders.

Are there warning signs of sudden cardiac arrest before it occurs?

When sudden cardiac arrest occurs in young people who appear to be in good health, there is usually no injury or medical cause known to the patient or family.

Some young people with sudden cardiac arrest may have previously experienced heart-related symptoms, such as shortness of breath, chest pain or fainting, that were not thought to be life-threatening.

Others may not have any symptoms of heart problems until cardiac arrest occurs.

When can sudden cardiac death of young adults occur?

Sudden cardiac arrest is believed to be the leading cause of death for young athletes, but it also affects young adults not involved in organized sports.

It can happen during exercise, while resting, or even while sleeping.

In some cases, young people can die of sudden cardiac arrest days or weeks after the brain damage that occurred during sudden cardiac arrest.

What causes sudden cardiac arrest in young people?

Not all causes of sudden cardiac arrest in children and young adults are known, but they may include:

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

It is usually hereditary and often undiagnosed, and this is the most common cause of cardiovascular disease for sudden cardiac arrest in young adults.

Muscle cells thicken in the lower chambers of the heart, called ventricles.

This can cause an irregular heartbeat, especially during exercise.

Other types of pediatric cardiomyopathy may also play a role.

Coronary artery abnormalities

They are defects that can reduce the flow of blood to the heart muscle during exercise and cause cardiac arrest.

Young people with coronary artery malformations are usually born with them, but they may not notice any symptoms until they are older.

Primary arrhythmias

In people with structurally normal hearts, sudden cardiac arrest can sometimes be caused by undiagnosed genetic conditions that affect the heart's electrical impulses.

For example, these include:

Myocarditis

Myocarditis usually causes infection, which means inflammation of the walls of the heart.

Most cases of pediatric myocarditis occur when a virus such as enterovirus enters the heart.

It can also be caused by a bacterial, fungal or parasitic infection, and allergic reactions to certain medications.

Marfan syndrome

This connective tissue disease can lead to ruptures in the blood vessels of the heart.

People born with this condition, who tend to be tall and have long arms, may not realize they have it.

Concussion "Commotio Cordis"

A concussion is caused by a blow to the chest directly to the heart at certain points in its beat cycle, and is more common in sports with projective objects such as ice hockey and baseball.

Are there ways to help prevent sudden cardiac death?

There are steps families and communities can take to reduce the risk of sudden cardiac death in young people:

• Regular child health visits and physical examinations.

• Learn about your family history.

  Collect the heart health history of blood relatives (children, siblings, parents, aunts and uncles, nephews and nephews, grandparents and cousins), and share it with your pediatrician.

  This can help direct questions during child health and sports checks.

Risk factors for sudden cardiac death that should warrant additional testing:

• Family history of sudden, unexpected or unexplained death in a healthy family member under 50 years of age.

• A family member has a heart muscle or electrical problem.

• Chest pain during exercise.

• An abnormal heart rate or rhythm of unknown cause.

• Fainting or seizure without warning or during exercise.

• Birth with a congenital heart defect (including one that has been surgically repaired).

Cardiac arrest under 50

Although it is known that heart attacks occur mainly due to high levels of fats in the blood, especially cholesterol and triglycerides, especially in the elderly over the age of 50 years, many may be unaware that the cause of heart attack for those under 50 years may be related to the presence of A specific protein in the blood increases the risk of a heart attack, as the German "T-Online" website quoted the German Heart Foundation, according to a report in Deutsche Welle.

A German scientific coalition, which includes the German Heart Foundation, the German Society for Cardiovascular Diseases and other associations and organizations, noted that in addition to cholesterol and triglyceride levels, lipoprotein A is a "relatively new risk factor" for heart attacks and strokes. cerebral palsy.

Under the slogan "Heart attack under 50? Pay attention to blood fats, determine the value of lipoprotein A," the Scientific Alliance confirmed - in a publication on the occasion of World Heart Day, which was yesterday, Thursday, September 29 - that if lipoprotein A was detected during a routine blood test. There is an increased risk of heart attack and blood vessel disease, according to a report in Deutsche Welle.

What exactly is a lipoprotein eh?

Fats ingested with food cannot swim freely in the blood, but are received and transported by lipoproteins.

Lipoprotein A is a type of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) lipoprotein (LDL).

If the concentrations in the blood are too high, this leads to atherosclerosis.

This is especially true for younger women and men who do not have any traditional risk factors, says Professor Thomas Voigtlinder, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the German Heart Foundation, noting that when treating patients with dyslipidemia, doctors should also Monitor lipoprotein ere levels as a 'relatively new' risk factor.

Doctors classify levels of lipoprotein A in the blood above 30 milligrams per deciliter as dangerous.

Remarkably, family members of sufferers often have heart attacks at a younger age.

Experts estimate that about 20% of the German population has an elevated level of lipoprotein A.

Lipoprotein A and atherosclerosis

According to medlineplus, lipoprotein A is a type of low-density lipoprotein, or "bad" cholesterol.

These lipoproteins carry cholesterol to arterial cells.

If you have high levels of particles (low-density lipoprotein), cholesterol can build up in your arteries and form blockages called plaques.

This condition is known as atherosclerosis.

This can lead to many serious medical conditions including:

• Coronary artery disease.

• Heart attack.

• brain attack.

• Peripheral arterial disease, in which the arteries in your legs or arms become blocked.

• Other vascular diseases.

Lipoproteins are molecules made of protein and fat that carry cholesterol through your bloodstream to your cells.

The two main groups of lipoproteins are called HDL (high-density lipoprotein), or "good" cholesterol, and LDL (low-density lipoprotein), or "bad" cholesterol.

LDL-A particles are more viscous than other types of LDL particles, so they are more likely to cause blockages and blood clots in the arteries.

As a result, high levels of LpA may mean that you are at a very high risk of heart disease, stroke and other serious conditions related to blockages and blood clots in your arteries.

Genetic predisposition plays the main role

According to the German Heart Foundation, there is a strong genetic predisposition of more than 90% to high levels of lipoprotein A in the blood, and therefore it is not possible to reduce the level of this protein through a healthy lifestyle, through exercise and exercises along with a healthy diet.

There is currently no drug treatment available to lower lipoprotein A levels, however there are some controlled studies examining the effectiveness of some preparations.

A healthy lifestyle positively affects other risk factors for heart disease

The current treatment strategy is based on reducing the overall vascular risk.

The basis is not smoking and physical activity as well as monitoring blood pressure and blood sugar.

Although this does not have a direct effect on the value of lipoprotein A, a healthy lifestyle positively affects other risk factors for cardiovascular disease and is therefore beneficial.

Lowering cholesterol is particularly important for lowering the risks associated with lipids in general.

These medications include statins and other LDL-lowering drugs.

But by doing so, the value of Lp-A is not reduced per se, but rather the overall risk.

Useful precautions

If the concentration of lipoprotein A in the blood is high, clinicians should encourage patients to reduce their overall cardiovascular risk by not smoking, exercising regularly, and eating Eat healthy and avoid being overweight.

You should also check your blood pressure, blood sugar and blood fats — such as triglycerides — regularly, according to Schwab.

This procedure is also especially true for people with hyperlipidemia and circulatory disorders as a result of atherosclerosis such as coronary artery disease or peripheral arterial occlusive disease.

Voigtlender and Schwab stress that all middle-aged and young adults and family members with vascular calcifications, who have heart disease or who are experiencing symptoms of a heart attack, should have their blood LpA values ​​measured.

Sudden death in young children

The American Mayo Clinic says that "sudden death in young people is rare, but those who are at risk can take precautions for them."

"Sudden cardiac death is the sudden and unexpected cessation of the heart's activity completely. Then breathing and blood flow stop immediately. Within seconds, the person loses consciousness and dies."

"Sudden cardiac death is different from sudden cardiac arrest," the Mayo Clinic explains. "SCA is the sudden loss of heart activity as a result of an abnormal heart rhythm. The patient can be saved if prompt and appropriate medical care is given."

She notes that "sudden cardiac death is rare among healthy people under the age of 35. The incidence is higher among males than among females."