Drinking champagne, eating more fruit and maintaining a slim figure can significantly reduce the risk of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), a world-first study examining non-clinical risk factors has found. The discovery is an important step in understanding factors that could help prevent millions of deaths from this serious medical condition.
Sudden cardiac arrest is a condition in which the heart suddenly stops pumping blood around the body due to a disruption in the heart's electrical activity. This can lead to instant death without medical attention. Millions of people die from this problem worldwide every year.
The study identified 56 nonclinical risk factors, including physical activity, socioeconomic status, and even local environment. By eliminating some of these, the number of deaths from sudden cardiac arrest can be significantly reduced. In particular, drinking champagne, white wine, increasing the amount of fruit in the diet, as well as controlling weight and blood pressure can reduce the likelihood of this serious problem by 40-63%.
“We were surprised by the results of this study because it showed that a significant proportion of SCA cases could be prevented through lifestyle changes,” said study co-author Renji Chen of Fudan University in Shanghai.
Of particular importance is the fact that eliminating the worst risk factors can lead to a significant reduction in sudden cardiac arrest mortality. Reducing the worst third of the 56 risk factors can prevent up to 40% of cases, and eliminating two-thirds can prevent up to 63%.
The researchers also emphasize that the optimization of myocardial metabolism associated with moderate consumption of champagne and white wine has a cardioprotective effect. This discovery changes the perception of the benefits of moderate alcohol consumption.
