Risk factors of sudden cardiac death in women: A 10 years study in Tunisia

Abstract

Background: Sudden cardiac death (SCD) represents a frequent etiology of sudden death. It represents a major public health issue. Few data about SCD in women are available from the Arab world. Our work aimed to analyze the risk factors of sudden cardiac death in Tunisian women in comparison with men.

Methods: A cross-sectional retrospective study including all sudden cardiac death cases, conducted in the Forensic Medicine Department of the main teaching hospital of Tunis, between January 2010 and December 2019.

Results: We counted 417 cases of sudden cardiac death in women representing 17.5% of the total number of sudden cardiac deaths recorded during the study period. The average age was 60.03 ± 15.01 years with a predominance of urban married women. The most frequent cardiac risk factors were high blood pressure (50%), diabetes (36.2%), and cardiac disease history (34.2%). Predominately married women with a history of High blood pressure and diabetes, had a high predictive of sudden cardiac death.

Conclusion: Cardiac sudden death is no longer a male focused issue. As a matter of facts Rates of SCD in women are rising with a different pattern. We will highlight the importance of adopting specific preventive measures of SCD in female.

Keywords: Autopsy; Prevention; Risk factors; Sudden cardiac death; Tunisia; Women.