INCIDENCE AND OTHER EPIDEMIOLOGIC CHARACTERISTICS OF SUDDEN CARDIAC DEATH IN NORTHWEST GREECE

Citation
Ja. Goudevenos et al., INCIDENCE AND OTHER EPIDEMIOLOGIC CHARACTERISTICS OF SUDDEN CARDIAC DEATH IN NORTHWEST GREECE, International journal of cardiology, 49(1), 1995, pp. 67-75
Citations number
36
Categorie Soggetti
Cardiac & Cardiovascular System
ISSN journal
01675273
Volume
49
Issue
1
Year of publication
1995
Pages
67 - 75
Database
ISI
SICI code
0167-5273(1995)49:1<67:IAOECO>2.0.ZU;2-5
Abstract
Sudden cardiac death (SCD) has not been investigated separately in Gre ece. The aim of this study is to describe the epidemiological characte ristics of people dying suddenly out of hospital in an area of Greece. In 1990, a population based study was started to detect the cases of people dying suddenly out of hospital (< 1 h after onset of acute symp toms or <6 h after being seen alive) in a closed population in Northwe st Greece (Ioannina area: 160 000 inhabitants): During a 3.5 year peri od, 283 potential cases aged 30-70 years were identified by monitoring the mortality in the emergency rooms of the two hospitals of the area , the coroner's office and the death certificates from the Government Department of Statistics. The diagnosis of SCD was established in 223 (183 men, 40 women; mean ages 59 and 61 years respectively) after visi ting and interviewing the relatives and/or the family doctors within 1 2 days (range 1-28) after the death, SCD in the study accounts for 50% of all cardiovascular deaths and is the most common cause of death af ter neoplasia. The most common place of death was home (151 cases, 68% ), and in 174 cases (78%) deaths occurred while the patients were rela xing or during routine activities. Prodromal symptoms were reported in 57 cases (26%). The time of day of death showed a circadian variation , with a peak in the late morning from 9:00 to 12:00. Ninety four (42% ) had a prior history of heart disease. One hundred and ninety one cas es (86%) occurred in the subgroup of age 50-70 years. The incidence wa s estimated at 9 SCD/10 000 citizens/year, and 14/10 000/year and 3/10 000 for men and women, respectively. The incidence and the other char acteristics of SCD in Northwest Greece are similar to those described in industrialized countries. Any intervention for prevention of SCD in the population should focus mostly on men aged 50-70 years old.