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Improvements in cardiovascular care have been impressive over the past 20 years, but it is unknown whether these changes have reduced rates of sudden cardiac death (SCD). These authors conducted a retrospective analysis of data from the U.S. CDC involving patients with death certificates listing SCD as causing or contributing to death.
Over 300,000 SCD-related deaths were reported from 1999 to 2022.
From 1999 to 2019, the age-adjusted mortality rate from SCD declined from 4.5 to 3.1 deaths per 100,000 — a relative reduction of roughly 30%.
Rates increased during the Covid-19 pandemic. While trending back down, they have not returned to prepandemic levels.
Non-Hispanic Black individuals had the highest age-adjusted mortality. H…