There is rarely a warning before sudden cardiac arrest. Heart attack patients usually remain conscious. Sudden cardiac arrest victims always lose consciousness. The prevalence of sudden cardiac arrest One of the leading causes of death among American adults, sudden cardiac arrest kills approximately 350,000 people a year, or approximately 1,000 people per day. Two out of every three deaths happen outside of the hospital.
Risk increases with age.
Although pre-existing heart disease is a common cause of cardiac arrest, many victims have never had any heart problems.