Ischemic sudden cardiac death: Critical analysis of risk markers

Coronary artery disease is responsible for approximately 75-80% of sudden c ardiac deaths in most industrialized countries. Risk factors can be divided in those which suggest structural heart disease and those reflecting abnor mal physiological markers. Therapeutic strategies for primary prevention of sudden cardiac death require careful scrutiny. The systematic use of risk markers to identify and stratify high risk groups may be of help to establi sh primary prevention measures in daily practice. Different methods to stra tify risk factors using ejection fraction, ventricular arrhythmias, heart r ate variability, barofeflex sensitivity, and dispesrion of repolarization a re discussed in this article.