Likelihood of Surviving a Heart Attack Can Be Predicted

According to recent research, the likelihood that someone will survive or die suddenly from a heart attack can be predicted.

Researchers from Wake Forest Baptist discovered that some factors (such as hypertension, race/ethnicity, body mass index (BMI), heart rate, and additional markers that can be identified by an electrocardiogram (ECG)) may be what determine whether an individual lives or expires due to a heart attack.

Lead author of the study, Elsayed Z. Soliman, M.D., M.Sc., M.S., director of the Epidemiological Cardiology Research Center (EPICARE) at Wake Forest Baptist, reported, “For some people, the first heart attack is more likely to be their last. For these people especially, it is important that we find ways to prevent that first heart attack from ever happening because their chances of living through it are not as good.”

Each year, millions of people pass away due to sudden cardiac death, which is caused by coronary heart disease.

“Since sudden cardiac death usually occurs before patients ever make it to the hospital, there is very little that can be done to save them,” Soliman stated.

“Identifying specific predictors that separate the risk of sudden cardiac death from that of non-fatal or not immediately fatal heart attacks would be the first step to address this problem,” he concluded.

The study has been published by the journal Heart.