Sudden cardiac death in the young: Epidemiology and overview

Congenit Heart Dis. 2017 Sep;12(5):597-599. doi: 10.1111/chd.12494. Epub 2017 Jun 15.

Abstract

Sudden cardiac death (SCD), particularly in the young athlete, is a rare though devastating event for families, institutions, and communities at large. It can also affect the nonathlete and occur at rest, although most commonly associated with exercise activities and/or sports participation. Common causes of SCD include cardiomyopathies, particularly hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in the United States, congenital coronary artery anomalies, channelopathies, among others. This report will explore an overview of the prevalence and causes of SCD in the young.

Keywords: arrhythmia; cardiomyopathy; channelopathy; coronary artery anomalies; sudden cardiac death.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Athletes*
  • Cardiovascular Diseases / mortality*
  • Death, Sudden, Cardiac / epidemiology*
  • Humans
  • Prevalence
  • Risk Factors
  • Survival Rate / trends
  • United States / epidemiology
  • Young Adult