One in eight men over 40 likely to suffer from sudden heart attack

Men seem to be at a relatively high risk of sudden cardiac death, particularly black men, according to new academic research. Authors say that that these are the first lifetime estimates for cardiac death, as others focused on the next 10 years.

Researchers examined sudden cardiac death data for about 5,000 U.S. adults who were involved in a major heart study. To examine risk, the team followed data from ages 40 through 95. The study concluded that the lifetime risk of sudden heart attack for men ages 40 and over is 12.3 percent--roughly one in eight men. Meanwhile, only 4 percent of women--or one in 24--are likely to face sudden cardiac death after age 40.

African-American men faced about twice the risk of sudden cardiac death as white men at any points in their lives, though white women and African-American women experienced essentially equal risk throughout the years.

Traditional risk factors for disease, such as diabetes, smoking and high cholesterol, substantially upped the risk for everyone studied.

To learn more about the study:
- read this HealthDay News article [1]

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