[Relevancy of sudden death of cardiac origin]

Sudden death (SD) is of cardiac origin in approximately 80-90% of the cases and represents one of the most important challenges of the modern cardiology. Evaluation and understanding of its epidemiological, clinical and histopathological characteristics can lead to better results in its management. In Spain was carried a multicenter study MUSA with two arms: 1/ EULALIA: histopathological aspects of SD and 2/ MUSIC: SD in heart failure with focus on identification of population groups at risk, pathophysiological mechanisms of development and clinical prognostic markers. The preliminary conclusions of both studies are the following: 1/ EULALIA trial: From the total 121 sudden deaths, 109 (90%) were of cardiac origin and of these 45% presented characteristics of myocardial hypertrophy. The histopathological findings reveled that in only 48% of cases acute ischemic heart disease was present. In the other cases of ischemic heart disease the sudden death was probably by arrhythmic origin related with the presence of old myocardial infarction. This is the most striking difference compared with Anglo-Saxon studies. In the 29 cases of ACS, 18 had eroded and combination of eroded and ruptured plaques. In the cases of non-ACS plaques were stable in 20, and combination of stable and vulnerable plaques in 7 cases. Statistically significant results as independent predictors of sudden death gave the following markers: history of MI, cephalization of vessels in thorax X-ray, left atrium size > 45 mm, high levels of NT-proBNP and PIP, LBBB on ECG recording and body mass index.