Sudden Cardiac Arrest is when the heart stops beating suddenly due to an abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmia). It is a medical emergency and requires someone to start performing CPR and to call 911.
See: https://canet-nce.ca/our-work/research/sudden-cardiac-death/
Sudden cardiac arrest occurs suddenly and unexpectedly and often there are no warning signs.
A person who has a sudden cardiac arrest will have:
When a person has a sudden cardiac arrest, his or her heart has stopped beating and no oxygen is getting to the brain. It is very important to call 9-1-1 immediately and to start CPR. Here’s a link on what to do in this emergency situation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mI6FweqA_7U
The risk factors for sudden cardiac arrest include:
Just because you have some of these risk factors doesn’t mean you will have a sudden cardiac arrest. It just means that you are more likely to have one compared to someone who doesn’t have these risk factors.
Having a healthy lifestyle is important to decreasing your risk. Talk to your doctor about changing your lifestyle to quit smoking, eat healthy, exercise and take medications if needed.
Learn the signs of sudden cardiac arrest and what to do when it happens. There are lots of courses and videos on Youtube out there that can teach you how to perform CPR and use an automated external defibrillator (AED). You can save a life just with your phone, your hands and an AED.