Sudden Cardiac Death Prediction and Prevention: Report from a National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and Heart Rhythm Society Workshop

November 30, 2010—The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) jointly presented a workshop featuring experts in cardiac electrophysiology on September 29–30, 2009, in Washington, DC. The workshop explored emerging approaches for improved prediction and prevention of sudden cardiac death (SCD). This special report outlines the expert consensus, identifies knowledge gaps, and makes six specific research recommendations.

Despite the significant decline in coronary artery disease (CAD) mortality in the second half of the 20th century, sudden cardiac death (SCD) continues to claim 250,000 to 300,000 lives in the U.S. annually. In North America and Europe, the annual incidence of SCD ranges between 50 to 100 per 100,000 in the general population. Due to the absence of emergency medical response systems in many world regions, worldwide estimates are currently not available.

HRS and NHLBI jointly presented a workshop featuring experts in cardiac electrophysiology on September 29–30, 2009, in Washington, DC. The workshop explored emerging approaches for improved prediction and prevention of SCD. The expert panel, consisting of 24 arrhythmia investigators, was asked to consider the three broad areas of basic, clinical, and population sciences. After deliberation on available information and critical needs for SCD prediction and prevention, the group came to a consensus, identifying investigational gaps and developing research recommendations in six high-priority areas.