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Researchers in China found that drinking champagne or white wine, eating plenty of fruit, keeping a positive outlook, and maintaining a healthy weight were linked to a lower risk of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).
Millions worldwide die each year from sudden cardiac arrest, which happens when the heart suddenly stops pumping blood without warning. Most cases are caused by a dangerous abnormal heart rhythm that arises when the heart’s electrical system malfunctions.
What Did the Researchers Report?
The study identified 56 nonclinical risk factors tied to SCA, ranging from lifestyle choices and physical measures to psychosocial factors, socioeconomic status, and living environment. The team concluded that addressing certain of these factors could prevent a substantial number of cases.
A number of protective factors emerged, including drinking champagne and white wine, eating plenty of fruit, keeping a positive outlook, controlling weight and blood pressure, and a strong desire for knowledge.
The team estimated that 40 to 63 percent of SCA cases might have been avoided if prior studies had accounted for all 56 risk factors.
Co-author Jianzhe Chen of Fudan University in Shanghai said, “To our knowledge, this is the first study to comprehensively examine the links between modifiable non-clinical risk factors and SCA. We were surprised to find that a significant number of SCA cases could be prevented by improving negative profiles.”
What Did the Study Reveal?
They analyzed data from more than 500,000 people in the UK Biobank. Over 14 years, 3,147 of those participants experienced SCA, The Guardian reported.
Lead researcher Huihuan Luo, also from Fudan University, said, “All previous studies on SCA risk factors were based on hypotheses and focused on a limited number of potential influencing factors. Our research revealed a significant connection between various modifiable factors and sudden cardiac arrest, with lifestyle changes proving to be the most effective in preventing cases of the disease.”
The study estimates that removing the worst third of those 56 risk factors could prevent about 40 percent of SCA cases; addressing the worst two-thirds could prevent about 63 percent.
In an editorial accompanying the study, Nicholas Grubik of the University of Toronto and Dakota Gustafson of Queen’s University wrote, “One of the most intriguing findings of the study is the cardioprotective effect associated with the consumption of champagne and white wine.” They say this finding raises questions about whether red wine has similar cardioprotective properties.
The results of the study were published in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology.
