Sudden cardiac death in patients with coronary heart disease and antemortem alcohol intake: A STROBE – compliant retrospective study. Issue 45 (11th November 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Fomin, Dmitrij; Chmieliauskas, Sigitas; Laima, Sigitas; Stasiuniene, Jurgita; Jasulaitis, Algimantas; Serpytis, Pranas
• Is Part Of: Medicine. Volume 101:Issue 45(2022)
• Page Start: e31396
• Publication Date: 2022-11-11
• Subjects: alcohol -- coronary heart disease -- forensic science -- sudden death; Medicine -- Periodicals; Medicine -- Periodicals; Médecine -- Périodiques; Geneeskunde; Medicine; Periodicals; Periodicals; 610.5
• DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000031396
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0025-7974

Abstract

Abstract : The present study was aimed to assess the prevalence and possible causal relationship of alcohol intake prior to a sudden cardiac death event in patients with coronary artery disease. The retrospective research was performed at the Vilnius branch of The State Forensic Medicine Service. The autopsy protocols for five years were analyzed and the cases of sudden cardiac death were selected, when the determined cause of death was Coronary Heart Disease (CHD), a forensic autopsy and toxicological blood and urine test had been performed. Cases of the sudden death of non-cardiac origin, cases of cardiomyopathy of various origins, and cases of acute cardiac arrest of unspecified origin were excluded. The data collected was processed using R software. The study sample consisted of 2133 cases. 706 (33%) CHD cases were alcohol positive. Males and young age CHD victims were more likely to find alcohol than females (72% vs. 28%, respectively, P < .001). The mean blood alcohol concentration of the sample was 1.37 ‰ ± 1.01, urine's 1.73 ‰ ± 1.29. Alcohol was more commonly found during the winter months and the holidays. Deaths in alcohol-positive individuals were more common in the alcohol elimination phase with hemodynamically insignificant coronary artery stenosis (up to 50% of arterial lumen). Nearly every third CHD victim in Lithuania who experienced sudden death also had signs of antemortem alcohol consumption.