Most cardiac arrests preceded by warning signs

Washington – A new study has claimed that Sudden cardiac arrest isn’t always so sudden.

In a study of middle-age men in Portland, Oregon, more than 50 percent had possible warning signs up to a month before their hearts stopped abruptly.

Lead author Eloi Marijon, M.D., visiting scientist at Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute in Los Angeles, said that by the time rescuers get there, it’s much too late.

Researchers gathered information about the symptoms and health history of men 35 to 65 years old who had out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in 2002-12.

Among 567 men who had out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, 53 percent had symptoms prior to the cardiac arrest. Of those with symptoms, 56 percent had chest pain, 13 percent had shortness of breath and 4 percent had dizziness, fainting or palpitations.

Almost 80 percent of the symptoms occurred between four weeks and one hour before the sudden cardiac arrest, he said.

Most men had coronary artery disease, but only about half had been tested for it before their cardiac arrest.