Heart attacks come on slowly. Cardiac arrest kills suddenly. So we bring you the bottom line on what everyone should know about cardiac arrest.

Bottom Line/HEALTH:Dr. Suzanne, what is sudden cardiac arrest? How does it show up, and how do we prevent it?
Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum:Sudden cardiac arrest is actually lack of blood flow to the heart muscle, and it’s sudden death. We really can prevent it by preventing the risk factors for heart disease. If we witness someone who’s heart has stopped, that’s when you do chest—you can actually save his or her life. But to prevent it from happening is really about preventing the risk factors in ourselves. That’s high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes…never smoking…exercising…watching your diet—all of these things will prevent sudden cardiac death.
Bottom Line:What causes it in the body? Why does the heart suddenly stop?
Dr. Steinbaum:There’s rupture of plaque and lack of blood flow, and then there’s irregular rhythms that could develop. No blood pressure occurs, and the heart stops beating.
Bottom Line:And you’re dead.
Dr. Steinbaum:And you’re dead.
 

The bottom line on cardiac arrest is that sudden death is often its first recognizable symptom, so to be on the safe side, prevention is probably your best bet.