Heart attack
Sudden death in people under age 35, often due to hidden heart defects or overlooked heart abnormalities, is rare. These sudden deaths often occur during physical activity, such as a sporting event. Of those sudden cardiac arrests, very few occur in young people, and only some of those young people die from sudden cardiac arrest. The causes of sudden cardiac death in young people vary. About two-thirds of the time, a coroner discovers during an autopsy that the death was due to a heart abnormality. For a variety of reasons, something — such as a structural heart defect — causes the heart to beat out of control. This abnormal heart rhythm is known as ventricular fibrillation.
Sudden death from cardiac arrest is a major health problem that’s received much less publicity than heart attack.
Some specific causes of sudden cardiac death in young people include:
* Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy can also cause death in young people due to abnormal heart rhythms called arrhythmias. This is a disease in which the heart muscle (myocardium) becomes abnormally thick, making it harder for the heart to pump blood. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, while usually not fatal in most people, is the most common cause of heart-related sudden death in people under 30. The symptoms of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy are difficulty breathing, heart palpations, chest pain, and light headedness and dizziness that can lead to fainting. It’s the most common cause of sudden death in athletes. HCM often goes undetected.
* Anomalous coronary artery (ACA). Sometimes people are born with heart arteries that are connected abnormally to the heart. Anomalous coronary artery is a congenital disorder that can cause sudden death in young people. The arteries can become compressed during exercise and not provide proper blood flow to the heart. Symptoms to look for include: irritability, disinterest in food, labored breathing, sweating, pale skin, stunted growth and heart failure. Afflicted persons may also experience chest pain, dizziness and fainting spells. ACA is one of the top causes of sudden death in young athletes.
*Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm. Approximately 15,000 people in the United States annually die from an abdominal aortic aneurysm. An aneurysm is caused because part of the artery wall is damaged or weakened. In this condition the aneurysm occurs in the abdominal aorta. Without symptoms, this area then balloons and bursts causing sudden death.
Stroke
A stroke, or an acute cerebrovascular attack, is a medical emergency that can cause permanent neurological damage, complications or death. It is caused by a sudden loss of blood supply to a portion of the brain, causing brain cells to die rapidly. When blood flow to the brain is impaired, oxygen and glucose cannot be delivered to the brain.
Certain behaviors and lifestyles greatly affect your risk for a stoke.
* Among the other health implications of smoking, the habit can harden arteries, create blood clots and provoke heart disease. All of these conditions increase the risk of a stroke.
* Hypertension can cause hemorrhaging of vessels in the brain, cutting off blood supply.
* Atherosclerotic blood vessels can develop blood clots. The narrowed vessels cannot pass the clot, causing a blockage. If the blockage passes, it can travel up to the brain’s blood vessels, producing the increased risk for aneurysm or stroke.
* In people with diabetes, many vessels can develop blockages, making the blood unable to go around a blockage or hemorrhage by an alternate route.
* With age comes the degradation of the body. Blood vessels harden, cholesterol builds up and heart disease becomes prevalent.
Blood flow can be compromised by a variety of mechanisms.
Blockage of an artery
* Blockage of a single arteriole can affect a tiny area of brain causing that tissue to die (infarct).
* Hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis) leading to the brain. There are four major blood vessels that supply the brain with blood. If these arteries become narrow as a result of atherosclerosis, plaque or cholesterol, debris can break off and float downstream, clogging the blood supply to a part of the brain.
* Embolism to the brain from the heart. In situations in which blood clots form within the heart, the potential exists for small clots to break off and travel (embolize) to the arteries in the brain and cause a stroke.
Rupture of an artery (hemorrhage)
* Cerebral hemorrhage (bleeding within the brain substance). The most common reason to have bleeding within the brain is uncontrolled high blood pressure. Other situations include aneurysms that leak or rupture or arteriovenous malformations (AVM) in which there is an abnormal collection of blood vessels that are fragile and can bleed
Aneurysm
An aneurysm is a bulge in a blood vessel that is caused by a weakness in the blood vessel wall. As the blood passes through the weakened part of the vessel, the blood pressure causes it to bulge outwards like a balloon.
If the aneurysm grows too big, there is a danger that it will rupture (split) which can cause potentially fatal internal bleeding and organ damage.
Types of aneurysms
An aneurysm can develop anywhere in the body but the two most common types of aneurysms are:
* an intracranial aneurysm (also known as a cerebral aneurysm), which develops inside the brain.
* an aortic aneurysm, which develops inside the aorta. The aorta is a large blood vessel that runs down the abdomen and transports blood away from the heart.
Arteries have thick walls to withstand normal blood pressure. However, certain medical problems, genetic conditions, and trauma can damage or injure artery walls. The force of blood pushing against the weakened or injured walls can cause an aneurysm. An aneurysm can grow large and burst (rupture) or cause a dissection. Rupture causes dangerous bleeding inside the body. A dissection is a split in one or more layers of the artery wall. The split causes bleeding into and along the layers of the artery wall.
A rupture in an intracranial aneurysm or an aortic aneurysm can have a potentially devastating effect on the body. A ruptured intracranial aneurysm can lead to blood leaking out over the surface of the brain. This is known as a subarachnoid haemorrhage. The blood can cause brain damage and lead to a reduction in blood supply that, in turn, can cause further brain damage. Without emergency treatment, a subarachnoid haemorrhage will usually result in death. A ruptured aortic aneurysm can cause massive internal bleeding. Without emergency treatment, a ruptured aortic aneurysm will result in death.
Accidental death
Refers to an unintentional death. Accidental death can be caused by machinery, medical and surgical complications, gas poisoning, firearms, drowning and motor vehicle accidents. ..
Injury
Injury or bodily injury is damage or harm caused to the structure or function of the body caused by an outside agent or force, which may be physical or chemical, and either by accident or intentional. Personal Injury also refers to damage caused to the reputation of another rather than physical harm to the body. A severe and life-threatening injury is referred to as a physical trauma. Serious bodily injury is any injury or injuries to the body that substantially risks death of the victim.