Sudden cardiac death-an Indian perspective

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is by far the commonest cause of sudden cardiac death (SCD), with the prevalence of CAD paralleling the incidence of SCD in epidemiological studies. With the alarming increase in prevalence of CAD, diabetes and hypertension in India, the incidence of SCD is also on the rise, especially in the urban regions. While the mortality of CAD in the West has decreased, it has reached epidemic proportions in India. Consequently, there is a need for implementing preventive cardiovascular health measures to meaningfully reduce the incidence of SCD.