Rev Med Chil. 2025 Nov;153(11):760-772. doi: 10.4067/s0034-98872025001100760. Epub 2025 Oct 15.
ABSTRACT
Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is a rare and unexpected event that occurs in apparently healthy individuals. In Chile, only one report has evaluated its incidence, published ten years ago.
AIM: To describe the incidence and etiology of SCD in Chile according to age, sex, and region, and to analyze its trend between 2010 and 2020.
METHODS: Descriptive ecological study using data from the Department of Health Statistics and Information. Mortality rates per 100,000 inhabitants and proportional mortality (% of total annual deaths) were calculated. Trends were assessed using Prais-Winsten regression (PW) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI).
RESULTS: A total of 1,115,620 deaths were recorded, of which 12,481 (1.12%) were attributed to SCD. The main causes were dilated cardiomyopathy (CMP) (37.15%), aortic dissection (17.24%), and complete atrioventricular block (9.63%). In individuals under 35 years of age, the most frequent etiologies were: dilated CMP (33.17%), hypertrophic CMP (16.17%), and aortic dissection (11.33%). Dilated CMP was the leading cause across both sexes and age groups. A decreasing trend was observed in both proportional mortality (PW: -0.038, 95% CI: -0.052; -0.025) and mortality rates in the total population (PW: -0.199, 95% CI: -0.261; -0.138). However, no significant decrease was observed in mortality rates in individuals under 35 years (PW: 0.003, 95% CI: -0.028; 0.034). The Valparaíso region recorded the highest rate (8.16/100,000), while Aysén had the lowest (2.80/100,000).
CONCLUSIONS: SCD is infrequent in Chile. Its main causes are dilated cardiomyopathy and aortic dissection. While a decreasing trend is observed in the general population over the past decade, no such trend is seen in individuals under 35, highlighting the need for targeted prevention strategies.
PMID:41405630 | DOI:10.4067/s0034-98872025001100760