The main warning signs: Sudden cardiac death can also affect young people

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German talk show host Hans Meiser (†77) died unexpectedly as a result of a ‘second death’. From one moment to the next his heart stopped beating. Experts warn: Sudden cardiac death can affect anyone. According to the University Hospital of Zurich, 8,000 people die from it every year in Switzerland. In principle, any heart disease can lead to cardiac arrhythmias and therefore to sudden cardiac death – even in young people if there are certain risk factors.

40 percent of all deaths occur in people between 15 and 65 years old. “Unfortunately, many family members of those affected do not know that they also need to be examined. This lack of knowledge can also have fatal consequences,” Silke Kauferstein, head of the Center for Sudden Cardiac Death at the University Hospital Frankfurt am Main, explains to “Focus”.

Unexplained deaths in the family are warning signs

“In our detailed research into sudden cardiac death, we certainly see warning signs that have often been ignored,” Kauferstein says. These include brief loss of consciousness during stress or after exertion, seizures, sudden deaths in the family (for example, unexplained drowning or death from unexplained car accidents), and heart failure before the age of 50.

If such symptoms occur in an individual or in the family, it is advisable to talk to a doctor. Fainting, for example, should always be medically clarified. Kauferstein calls out, “Because of possible hereditary components that promote these life-threatening cardiac events, we need to increase awareness of this problem among potential risk groups – especially family members who already have a young person in their family with sudden cardiac death.” This could save the lives of other family members.

With age, the risk of developing coronary heart disease increases, which in the worst case results in sudden cardiac death. Therefore, people in old age should promote heart health through balanced exercise and avoid cigarettes, alcohol and a lot of meat. (jwg)

Source: Blick