Chances of sudden cardiac death in women can be reduced by healthy lifestyle choices says a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Sudden cardiac death is responsible for half of all cardiac deaths, the researchers write in the study. Between 250,000 to 310,000 cases occur annually in the U.S.
Sudden cardiac death is related to a malfunctioning of the electrical rhythm of the heart. In comparison, a heart attack is caused by a blood vessel blockage.
Researchers found that each positive lifestyle choice was linked to a reduced risk of sudden cardiac death, Reuters reported on Tuesday. When the healthy choices, which include diet, a healthy weight, not smoking, and exercise, are added together, the risk is reduced by 92 percent.
Dr. Stephanie Chiuve from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and the lead author of the study told Reuters, "The more you adhere to this healthy lifestyle, the better you are in terms of your risk of sudden cardiac death."
Researchers concluded that 81 percent of cases of sudden cardiac death were due to unhealthy lifestyles. Although sudden cardiac death is a rare event, Chiuve says that lifestyle-based efforts to prevent it can also impact the risks for more common health problems, such as diabetes, stroke and coronary disease.
