title: Pathophysiology and prevention of sudden cardiac death.
abstract: Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is known to occur in individuals with diverse diseases. Each disease state has a specific etiology and pathophysiology, and is diagnosed and treated differently. Etiologies for SCD include cardiac arrhythmias, coronary artery disease, congenital coronary artery anomalies, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia, dilated cardiomyopathy, and aortic valve stenosis. A potential unifying mechanism of SCD in these diseases involves a massive stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system's stress response and the subsequent elevation of circulating catecholamines. The diagnosis of cardiac diseases that contribute to an increased risk for SCD is accomplished by a combination of different techniques including electrocardiography, echocardiography, magnetic resonance imaging, and invasive cardiac catheterization. Several therapies including anti-arrhythmic drugs, β-blockers, and antiplatelet agents may be used as medical treatment in patients for the prevention of SCD. Invasive therapies including percutaneous angioplasty, coronary artery bypass surgery, and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators are also used in the clinical management of SCD.
authors.affiliation: a Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, St. Boniface Hospital Albrechtsen Research Centre, 351 Tache Avenue, Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, College of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R2H 2A6, Canada.
authors.forename: Vineet
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Goyal
authors.affiliation: a Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, St. Boniface Hospital Albrechtsen Research Centre, 351 Tache Avenue, Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, College of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R2H 2A6, Canada.|b Section of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
authors.forename: Davinder S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Jassal
authors.affiliation: a Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, St. Boniface Hospital Albrechtsen Research Centre, 351 Tache Avenue, Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, College of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R2H 2A6, Canada.
authors.forename: Naranjan S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Dhalla
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: arrhythmias; arythmie; cardiomyopathie dilatée; cardiomyopathie hypertrophique; coronary artery disease; dilated cardiomyopathy; hypertrophic cardiomyopathy; maladie coronarienne; mort subite d’origine cardiaque; sudden cardiac death