Journal
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF CARDIOLOGY
Volume 47, Issue 6, Pages 1161-1166Publisher
ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC
DOI: 10.1016/j.jacc.2005.11.045
Keywords
-
Categories
Funding
- NCRR NIH HHS [5 M01 RR000334] Funding Source: Medline
- NHLBI NIH HHS [HL-04-001] Funding Source: Medline
- ATSDR CDC HHS [TS-0660] Funding Source: Medline
Ask authors/readers for more resources
OBJECTIVES We sought to evaluate the contribution of left ventricular (LV) dysfunction toward occurrence of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in the general population, and to identify distinguishing characteristics of SCD in the absence of LV dysfunction. BACKGROUND Patients who manifest warning symptoms and signs are more likely to undergo evaluation before SCD. Although prevalence of LV dysfunction in this subgroup may overestimate the prevalence in overall SCD, this is the only means of assessment in the general population. METHODS All cases of SCD in Multnomah County, Oregon (population 660,486; 2002 to 2004) were prospectively ascertained in the ongoing Oregon Sudden Unexpected Death Study. We retrospectively assessed LV ejection fraction (LVEF) among subjects who underwent evaluation of LV function before SCD (normal: >= 55%; mildly to moderately reduced: 36% to 54%; and severely reduced: <= 35%). Of a total of 714 SCD cases (annual incidence 54 per 100,000), LV function was assessed in 121 (17%). RESULTS The LVEF was severely reduced in 36 patients (30%), mildly to moderately reduced in 27 (22%), and normal in 58 (48%). Patients with normal LVEF were distinguishable by younger age (66 +/- 15 years vs. 74 +/- 10 years; p = 0.001), higher proportion of females (47% vs. 27%; p = 0.025), higher prevalence of seizure disorder (14% vs. 0%; p = 0.002), and lower prevalence of established coronary artery disease (50% vs. 81%; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS In this community-wide study, only one-third of the evaluated SCD cases had severe LV dysfunction meeting current criteria for prophylactic cardioverter-defibrillator implantation. The SCD cases with normal LV function had several distinguishing clinical characteristics. These findings support the aggressive development of alternative screening methods to enhance identification of patients at risk.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available