Why do healthy people suddenly die?

Specialist II Doctor Nguyen Dinh Viet, Head of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Emergency Department, Phu Tho Provincial General Hospital advises:

Sudden cardiac death is a sudden cardiac arrest, different from a stroke. A stroke is caused by a blockage or rupture of a blood vessel to the brain, with symptoms of weakness in the limbs, crooked mouth, difficulty speaking, and coma. The patient does not die immediately like a heart stroke.

Sudden death can cause the patient to die within 1 hour. The patient may have a ruptured heart, a ruptured large blood vessel of the heart. The cause is due to cardiovascular diseases such as mitral stenosis, congenital heart disease, blood clots, coronary arteries are too narrow leading to the heart not having enough blood to nourish it, causing it to suddenly stop.

Sudden death is also caused by arrhythmia. The patient has symptoms of cardiac arrest or previous episodes of tachycardia. Some people have underlying arrhythmia due to congenital disease but only manifest when they are older, or the patient may have an aortic dissection that is not treated properly.

Sudden death can occur at any age from children to the elderly. In particular, the elderly are most often affected by myocardial infarction. 50% of myocardial infarction patients do not reach the hospital in time and die suddenly at home.

To detect the risk of sudden death, people need to be screened for coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. People who have had coronary stents placed or have unusual symptoms such as anxiety, palpitations, or fainting should be examined.

The signs of cardiac arrest are very typical: the patient suddenly feels tired, short of breath, nervous, has signs of circulatory arrest (convulsions, cyanosis, incontinence), no pulse. Immediately after that, the patient falls into a coma and dies within minutes if not detected early.

If the patient receives proper first aid, there is a chance of survival. People around need to perform CPR such as chest compressions, artificial respiration, call 115 or the nearest hospital hotline.

To prevent disease, people with dyslipidemia, high blood pressure, diabetes need to manage their underlying diseases well. Eat lots of green vegetables, fish, and white meat. You should exercise every day, limit alcohol, and quit smoking.

For people with congenital heart disease, heart abnormalities need to be prevented by regular health check-ups, synchronized to detect risks early. Doctors can intervene and treat to prevent sudden death.