Biomaterial Database

Risk stratification for sudden cardiac death. 2007

Takanori Ikeda, and Satoru Yusu, and Kentaro Nakamura, and Hideaki Yoshino

Second Department of Internal Medicine, Kyorin University School of Medicine, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8611, Japan. iket@kyorin-u.ac.jp

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is a leading cause of mortality in industrialized countries, and ventricular fibrillation and sustained ventricular tachycardia are the major causes of SCD. Although there are now effective devices and medications that can prevent such serious arrhythmias, it is crucial to have methods of identifying patients at risk. Numerous studies suggest that most patients dying of SCD have coronary artery disease or cardiomyopathy. Functional or electrophysiological measurements are effective in risk stratification. Left ventricular ejection fraction measured by echocardiography or cardiac imaging techniques is the gold standard to detect high-risk patients. Electrophysiological studies have also been used for risk stratification. Noninvasive techniques and measurements, such as T-wave alternans, signal-averaged electrocardiography, nonsustained ventricular tachycardia, heart rate variability, and heart rate turbulence, have been proposed as useful tools in identifying patients at risk for SCD. This article reviews the epidemiology, mechanisms, substrates, and current status of risk stratification of SCD.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D011237	Predictive Value of Tests	In screening and diagnostic tests, the probability that a person with a positive test is a true positive (i.e., has the disease), is referred to as the predictive value of a positive test; whereas, the predictive value of a negative test is the probability that the person with a negative test does not have the disease. Predictive value is related to the sensitivity and specificity of the test.	Negative Predictive Value,Positive Predictive Value,Predictive Value Of Test,Predictive Values Of Tests,Negative Predictive Values,Positive Predictive Values,Predictive Value, Negative,Predictive Value, Positive
D006331	Heart Diseases	Pathological conditions involving the HEART including its structural and functional abnormalities.	Cardiac Disorders,Heart Disorders,Cardiac Diseases,Cardiac Disease,Cardiac Disorder,Heart Disease,Heart Disorder
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D012307	Risk Factors	An aspect of personal behavior or lifestyle, environmental exposure, inborn or inherited characteristic, which, based on epidemiological evidence, is known to be associated with a health-related condition considered important to prevent.	Health Correlates,Risk Factor Scores,Risk Scores,Social Risk Factors,Population at Risk,Populations at Risk,Correlates, Health,Factor, Risk,Factor, Social Risk,Factors, Social Risk,Risk Factor,Risk Factor Score,Risk Factor, Social,Risk Factors, Social,Risk Score,Score, Risk,Score, Risk Factor,Social Risk Factor
D016757	Death, Sudden, Cardiac	Unexpected rapid natural death due to cardiovascular collapse within one hour of initial symptoms. It is usually caused by the worsening of existing heart diseases. The sudden onset of symptoms, such as CHEST PAIN and CARDIAC ARRHYTHMIAS, particularly VENTRICULAR TACHYCARDIA, can lead to the loss of consciousness and cardiac arrest followed by biological death. (from Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine, 7th ed., 2005)	Cardiac Sudden Death,Sudden Cardiac Death,Cardiac Arrest, Sudden,Sudden Cardiac Arrest,Arrest, Sudden Cardiac,Cardiac Arrests, Sudden,Cardiac Death, Sudden,Death, Cardiac Sudden,Death, Sudden Cardiac,Sudden Death, Cardiac
D017410	Practice Guidelines as Topic	Works about directions or principles presenting current or future rules of policy for assisting health care practitioners in patient care decisions regarding diagnosis, therapy, or related clinical circumstances. The guidelines may be developed by government agencies at any level, institutions, professional societies, governing boards, or by the convening of expert panels. The guidelines form a basis for the evaluation of all aspects of health care and delivery.	Clinical Guidelines as Topic,Best Practices,Best Practice
D018570	Risk Assessment	The qualitative or quantitative estimation of the likelihood of adverse effects that may result from exposure to specified health hazards or from the absence of beneficial influences. (Last, Dictionary of Epidemiology, 1988)	Assessment, Risk,Benefit-Risk Assessment,Risk Analysis,Risk-Benefit Assessment,Health Risk Assessment,Risks and Benefits,Analysis, Risk,Assessment, Benefit-Risk,Assessment, Health Risk,Assessment, Risk-Benefit,Benefit Risk Assessment,Benefit-Risk Assessments,Benefits and Risks,Health Risk Assessments,Risk Analyses,Risk Assessment, Health,Risk Assessments,Risk Benefit Assessment,Risk-Benefit Assessments
D019317	Evidence-Based Medicine	An approach of practicing medicine with the goal to improve and evaluate patient care. It requires the judicious integration of best research evidence with the patient's values to make decisions about medical care. This method is to help physicians make proper diagnosis, devise best testing plan, choose best treatment and methods of disease prevention, as well as develop guidelines for large groups of patients with the same disease. (from JAMA 296 (9), 2006)	Medicine, Evidence-Based,Evidence Based Medicine,Medicine, Evidence Based