United States: The prevention of two-thirds of cardiac arrest cases becomes possible through effective management of lifestyle effects alongside environmental and personal health risks, according to a recent report.
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An investigation of 56 common factors linked to sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) revealed they might stop 63% of potential cases, according to research published in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology.
According to a senior researcher, Renjie Chen, a professor at Fudan University School of Public Health in Shanghai, “We were surprised by the large proportion (40%–63%) of SCA cases that could be prevented by improving unfavorable profiles” US News reported.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines cardiac arrest as cardiac arrest during unexpected times when the heart stops beating suddenly.
The study team evaluated data collected from over 502,000 participants in the UK Biobank health research program, which focuses on long-term follow-ups with British participants.
Nearly two-thirds of cardiac arrest cases could be prevented by managing lifestyle, environmental and personal health risks, a new study says. #hearthealth #cardiacarrest #publichealth https://t.co/kCJy2ucy3O
— HealthDay News (@HealthDayTweets) April 29, 2025
During the average nearly 14 years of observation, 3,147 participants experienced sudden cardiac arrest.
The study evaluated 125 various risk factors between the cardiac arrest victims and healthy subjects through comparisons of dietary behaviors, physical activities, smoking patterns, and alcohol consumption, as well as mental health and isolation levels and environmental exposure levels alongside work conditions, financial health, and blood pressure measurements and body weight.
The research identified 56 risk factors that were strongly associated with sudden cardiac arrest and included 25 contributors that influenced 10% to 17% of patients, US News reported.
The study examined smoking behavior alongside exercise, TV watching duration, obesity, sleep patterns, breathing troubles, and education, together with hand grip strength.
“To our knowledge, this is the first study that comprehensively investigated the associations between non-clinical modifiable risk factors and sudden cardiac arrest incidence,” as Chen noted.
According to researchers, potential cardiac arrest cases could decrease by 18% when individuals focus on improving their lifestyle habits, such as proper eating, regular exercise, and both smoking and drinking cessation.
“The study found significant associations between various modifiable factors and sudden cardiac arrest, with lifestyle changes being the most impactful in preventing cases,” as per the lead researcher Huihuan Luo with the Fudan University School of Public Health.