2024-02-20 13:43:43
The long-time national soccer player and world champion Andreas Brehme died of unexpected heart failure. How cardiac arrest can occur.
The death of Andreas Brehme is currently shocking many people in Germany. As his partner Susanne Schaefer confirmed on behalf of his family, Brehme died suddenly and completely unexpectedly on the night of Monday to Tuesday as a result of a cardiac arrest. What warning signs can occur and how you can help those affected in such a case.
Sudden cardiac death: what is it?
Sudden cardiac death is one of the most common causes of death. Over 65,000 people die from it in Germany every year. The immediate trigger is almost always a cardiac arrhythmia due to heart disease – this is not always known in advance.
It leads to circulatory collapse within a few seconds: the heart stops beating and blood pressure drops to zero. Unconsciousness occurs after about eight seconds. It takes two to three minutes for breathing to stop; death occurs after about ten minutes.
Risk groups: Older men are particularly at risk
The frequency of sudden cardiac death clearly depends on age and gender: men over 65 are particularly affected. The death rate for men over 79 is twice as high as that for women in this age group.
In patients over 40, coronary artery disease (CHD) plays the largest role in sudden cardiac death. According to expert estimates, around six million people in Germany have CHD, which in turn is caused by high blood pressure, diabetes and poor cholesterol levels.
Causes of sudden cardiac death
The causes of sudden cardiac death can be very different. In addition to coronary heart disease, the most common include:
- Heart failure
- Inflammation of myocardium
- Heart muscle diseases such as dilated, hypertrophic or restrictive cardiomyopathy
- Heart valve diseases such as mitral valve prolapse
- Congenital heart defects
Cardiac arrest: what are the warning signs?
Sudden cardiac death often occurs during sleep. However, sometimes there are warning signs in advance that allow patients to seek help in a timely manner. This includes:
- heart racing
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain
- Dizziness attacks
- brief loss of consciousness or blackening of the eyes
What to do if you have a cardiac arrest?
In the event of a sudden cardiac arrest, patients only have a chance of surviving if observers are on site who immediately call the emergency doctor and then carry out resuscitation measures. The best way to help a sufferer is to follow the “check, call, squeeze” rule:
- Checkwhether the person affected reacts to being spoken to and whether their breathing is still normal.
- Is not that the case, call Call the emergency services on 112.
- Afterward press Apply it to the patient’s chest: at least 100 times per minute, 5 to 6 centimeters deep. Combine chest compressions with ventilation: push 30 times, breathe 2 times.
The best strategy against sudden cardiac death is to detect and treat heart disease and its risk factors early. Men and women aged 40 and over – earlier if they have a family history – should have regular check-ups with their family doctor for early detection. If you have been diagnosed with heart disease, you should also have regular check-ups with a cardiologist or internist.