title: Blood alcohol in victims of sudden cardiac death in northern Finland.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Momentary intake of large quantity of alcohol provokes ventricular ectopic activity increasing electrical instability. The present study was aimed to assess the prevalence of alcohol intake prior to a sudden cardiac death (SCD) event.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Victims of unexpected SCD [n = 2363, age 61 ± 12 years, males 1940 (82%)] included in the Finnish study of genotype and phenotype profiles of SCD (FINGESTURE) had a thorough interview of family members, medico-legal autopsy, and determination of blood alcohol concentration. Because of the Finnish law, all unexpected deaths undergo medico-legal autopsy. Patients who were admitted to a hospital due to an acute myocardial infarction [n = 128, age 63 ± 10 years, males 100 (78%)] served as controls. Based on autopsy findings, 1691 of these victims had ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and were included in the present analysis. A total of 646 (38%) SCD victims with IHD had a blood ethanol concentration above 0‰. Of these victims with blood alcohol test positive, 41% (n = 264) had blood ethanol concentration ≥1.5‰ and 56% (n = 362) ≥1‰. Male SCD victims had more frequently alcohol in blood than the females (40 vs. 27%, P < 0.001, respectively). None of the controls, who gave a consent for the blood ethanol concentration determination (n = 88), had alcohol in blood. Of the controls, 40 (31%) declined to participate in the study and give the consent for blood alcohol testing.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Almost 4 of 10 of the victims of unexpected SCD have evidence of alcohol intake before the fatal event in the northern Finland autopsy population.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Clinical Medicine, Medical Research Center, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000 (Kajaanintie 50), Oulu FIN-90014, Finland juha.perkiomaki@oulu.fi.
authors.forename: Juha
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Perkiömäki
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Clinical Medicine, Medical Research Center, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000 (Kajaanintie 50), Oulu FIN-90014, Finland.
authors.forename: Eeva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hookana
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Clinical Medicine, Medical Research Center, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000 (Kajaanintie 50), Oulu FIN-90014, Finland.
authors.forename: Kari
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kaikkonen
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Clinical Medicine, Medical Research Center, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000 (Kajaanintie 50), Oulu FIN-90014, Finland.
authors.forename: Juhani
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Junttila
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: Marja-Leena
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Kortelainen
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Clinical Medicine, Medical Research Center, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000 (Kajaanintie 50), Oulu FIN-90014, Finland.
authors.forename: Heikki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Huikuri
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000438:Alcohols / Q000097:blood*; D001344:Autopsy; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications*; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D000438:Alcohols
keywords: Alcohol; Sudden cardiac death