Risk stratification of sudden cardiac death: a review
Jacob Tfelt-Hansen1,2, Rodrigue Garcia3,4, Christine Albert5
1Cardiology Department, Copenhagen University Hospital-Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark.
Insights
Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is a major global health issue. Identifying high-risk individuals and employing targeted treatments, including implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), are crucial for prevention.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Preventive Medicine
- Electrophysiology
Background:
- Sudden cardiac death (SCD) accounts for millions of annual deaths globally, representing a significant public health challenge.
- Effective prevention strategies necessitate accurate diagnosis and risk stratification of individuals at high risk for SCD.
- Current management involves addressing underlying cardiac conditions, lifestyle modifications, pharmacological treatments, and device-based therapies.
Conclusions:
- Accurate identification and risk stratification of individuals susceptible to SCD are paramount.
- A multi-faceted approach combining disease management, lifestyle interventions, and advanced therapies is essential for reducing SCD burden.
- Continued research into novel treatment modalities is vital for improving long-term outcomes and preventing sudden cardiac death.
Abstract:
Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is responsible for several millions of deaths every year and remains a major health problem. To reduce this burden, diagnosing and identification of high-risk individuals and disease-specific risk stratification are essential. Treatment strategies include treatment of the underlying disease with lifestyle advice and drugs and decisions to implant a primary prevention implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) and perform ablation of the ventricles and novel treatment modalities such as left cardiac sympathetic denervation in rare specific primary electric diseases such as long QT syndrome and catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia. This review summarizes the current knowledge on SCD risk according to underlying heart disease and discusses the future of SCD prevention.
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