What can cause sudden cardiac death in young people?
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. Some specific causes of sudden cardiac death in young people include: • Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). 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. It’s the most common cause of sudden death in athletes. HCM often goes undetected. • Coronary artery abnormalities. Sometimes people are born with heart arteries (coronary arteries) that are connected abnormally to the heart. The arteries can become compressed during
