Blacks More Likely to Die Suddenly From Cardiac Arrest, Study Finds

 

By Maggie Fox

African-Americans are twice as likely as whites to die from sudden cardiac arrest, and they are younger on average when it happens, too, researchers reported Monday.

It's more troubling evidence that blacks have more severe heart disease than whites, but it's still not clear why.

 

Sudden cardiac arrest can be caused by heart attacks but it's also caused by irregular heart beat and electrical disturbances. The study of more than 100 blacks and 1,200 whites who suffered cardiac arrest in the Portland area showed that blacks were, on average, six years younger than whites when it happened.

Blacks were also more likely to have other diseases, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and kidney disease, than whites. 

Full article available here: Blacks More Likely....

Source: NBC News