title: Temporal Trends in Sudden Cardiac Death From 1997 to 2010: A Data Linkage Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Community-wide trends data for sudden cardiac death (SCD) are scarce, unlike widely reported declines in cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality. Using administrative data, we aimed to examine population-level trends in SCD, stratified by sex, age and prior CVD hospitalisation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Person-linked mortality and hospital morbidity data were used to identify SCD and determine hospitalisation and comorbidity using a 10-year hospitalisation lookback period. Log-linear Poisson regression was used to calculate annual rate changes and rate ratios.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In Western Australia, 7160 SCD cases were identified from 1997 to 2010 with males comprising 69%. Overall age-standardised SCD rates decreased by 17% in men and 31% in women from 1997-2001 to 2007-2010. The annual rate reduction was higher in women than men (-4.0%/year versus -2.3%/year; p=0.0039). Significant reductions were observed for 55-69 year-old and 70-84 year-old men and women but not for the 35-54 year-olds. The overall relative risk comparing men to women increased slightly from 2.4 in 1997 to 3.0 in 2010 (trend p=0.0039) but differed across age groups. The relative risk declined in 35-54 year-olds from 5.1 to 3.2 whereas it increased from 2.9 to 3.9 in 55-69 year-olds and 1.9 to 2.3 in 70-84 year-olds. Declining trends in SCD rates were observed in those with and without prior CVD and were similar to CVD mortality trends (-4.9%/year in men and -5.5%/year in women).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Trends in rates of SCD fell in middle to older aged men and women, with and without CVD, and mirrored the fall in fatal CVD. Limited improvement in 35-54 year-olds requires further investigation.
authors.affiliation: School of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia. Electronic address: jiali.feng@uwa.edu.au.
authors.forename: Jia-Li
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: School of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.
authors.forename: Lee
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nedkoff
authors.affiliation: School of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Knuiman
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Agnes Ginges Centre for Molecular Cardiology, Centenary Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Semsarian
authors.affiliation: Agnes Ginges Centre for Molecular Cardiology, Centenary Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Jodie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ingles
authors.affiliation: School of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Briffa
authors.affiliation: School of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.
authors.forename: Siobhan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hickling
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors
keywords: Cardiovascular disease; Epidemiology; Population-based study; Prevention; Sudden cardiac death