All You Should Know About Cardiac Arrest
                     ABOUT DOCTOR
Interventional 
Cardiologist
Apollo Hospitals, 
Indore
Dr. Sarita Rao is a Sr. Interventional Cardiologist at 
Apollo  Hospitals, Indore. She is the first female 
Interventional  Cardiologist in Central India. She is 
Fellow of American  College of Cardiology(FACC) 
and Fellow of European  Society of 
Cardiology(FESC)
For OPD Appointments Contact : +91 9893925000
OPD Timing at Apollo Hospitals, Indore: 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Location: Apollo Hospitals, Indore Sector D Rd, Scheme No 74C, Vijay 
Nagar, Indore.
OPD Timing at Clinic: 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
Location: 303, Third Floor, Vishal Astra, Opp. Satya Sai School, A.B Road, 
Indore, MP.
 All You Should Know About Cardiac Arrest
Cardiac arrest is mainly caused due to heart attack, it is a sudden abrupt loss of heart 
functioning consciousness and breathing, cardiac arrest generally results due to rhythmic 
functions for the electrical system of the heart which lead to disrupt hearts pumping action 
and stop the blood flow from the heart to the body. Cardiac arrest as a major cause of death 
nowadays, it can come suddenly or in the wake of other symptoms, cardiac arrest can be 
very fattal if appropriate steps are not taken immediately on time. Cardiac arrest is caused 
when the electrical system malfunctions and the heart stops beating properly due to this in 
appropriate breathing the heart stops pumping or is arrested, & stops working that is why it 
is called as cardiac arrest. 
Symptoms of cardiac arrest:-
There are many signs and symptoms of cardiac arrest that can not be clearly defined as 
symptoms of cardiac arrest, the most common symptoms are immediate and drastic it 
includes-
• Loss of breathing
• Loss of consciousness
• Disturbance in pulse
• Sudden collapse
• Chest pain or discomfort
• Shortness of breath & fatigue
• Weakness
• Fainting
• Dizziness
• Irregular heartbeat
It is very important to urgently seek medical help if any of the symptoms are experienced.
Causes Of cardiac arrest:-
The main cause of a cardiac arrest is Arrythmias that is abnormal heart beat or rhythm which 
occurs when the hearts electrical system does not work properly. The electrical system of the 
heart is responsible to control the rate and rhythm of heartbeat if there is any disturbance in 
heart beat it may result in to beating too fast or too slowly, which may lead to sudden cardiac 
arrest. The most common rythm that may result into cardiac arrest is arrhythmia in the lower 
chamber of the heart that is ventricle. 
There are also many heart conditions that can lead to sudden cardiac arrest, these include
1) Coronary artery disease- mostly 
cardiac arrest cases are seen in the 
people who have coronary artery 
disease coronary artery is the main 
artery that supplies the heart if there 
is any e cholesterol or other deposit 
present in the artery it becomes 
clogged which reduces the blood flow 
to the heart and cause cardiac arrest.
2) Heart attack- if the heart attack 
occurs it can result in to severe 
coronary artery disease which can lead 
to trigger sudden cardiac arrest and 
ventricular fibrillation, Heart Attack 
can also leave scar tissue into the 
heart which can lead to electrical short 
circuits in the scar tissue leading to 
abnormality in the heart rhythm and 
arrhythmia.
3) Congenital heart diseases- generally in children's for adolescents when there is sudden 
cardiac arrest it can be due to congenital heart disease, congenital heart diseases are the 
diseases which are present by birth in to the heart.
4) Valvular heart diseases- if there is any leakage or narrowing of the valves of the heart it 
can lead to stretching and thickening of the heart muscles, if the chambers become enlarged 
or weakens due to the stress caused by tight walls there are increased chances of developing 
arrhythmias which can lead to sudden cardiac arrest.
Risk factors- 
Sudden cardiac arrest is linked to coronary artery disease there are many risk factors that can 
lead to coronary artery disease which can also increase the risk of cardiac arrest, here are the 
most common risk factors which increases the risk of cardiac arrest-
• Smoking
• Obesity
• High blood pressure
• High blood sugar level
• Diabetes
• High blood cholesterol
• Past history of coronary artery disease or cardiac arrest
• Inactive lifestyle
• Along with this there are other factors that may increase the risk 
of cardiac arrest that include
• Any previous history of cardiac arrest or any family history of 
coronary artery disease
• Using illegal drugs
• Chronic kidney disease
• Sleep apnea
• Any previous heart attack
Here are the risk factors that may lead to cardiac arrest, it is very important to maintain 
healthy stress free lifestyle to avoid any kind of heart related problems which can cause 
death. 
Prevention:- 
Preventing any heart diseases means saving life there are many simple ways to prevent 
cardiac arrest that include Lifestyle changes, exercising, losing weight and more . Here are 
some of the tips that can help you to prevent cardiac arrest and other heart diseases.
Common complications:-
The formation of blood clots is the most dangerous complication of atrial fibrillation which 
can lead to stroke. The irregular heart rhythm in atrial fibrillation can cause blood to collect in 
the upper chambers of the heart and the formation of clots. If the blood clots, it can travel to 
the brain which can cause a stroke. Other common complications or conditions which can 
increase the risk of stroke due to atrial fibrillation are -
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Heart failure
• Valvular heart diseases
Blood thickening medications are commonly prescribed in people with atrial fibrillation to 
prevent these blood clots and the risk of stroke.
Prevention:-
The only prevention is to maintain a healthy lifestyle which can reduce the risk of heart 
diseases and also help you to prevent atrial fibrillation, the most common tips for prevention 
are -
1) Stay 
active- exercising 
play a major role in 
preventing heart 
diseases, exercising 
play a major role in 
strengthening of 
heart and to increase 
the cardio pulmonary 
activity of body. 
Exercising 15 to 20 
minutes a day can 
help you to prevent 
arrhythmias, 
blockage and other 
problems that can 
lead to heart attacks 
and Cardiac Arrest.
2) Heat healthy diet- try to eat healthy as much as possible avoid foods that are high in 
cholesterol, carbohydrates,oils, sugar and trans fat. This type of foods can increase the bad 
cholesterol levels of the body which can clog the arteries and can abrupt the blood flow of 
the heart which can lead to cardiac arrest.
3) Maintain healthy weight- maintaining a healthy weight can help heart to pump and 
function easily, obesity can lead to oo blockage of arteries and vessels which can cause 
abruption of the blood flow and can lead to serious health problems in future.
4)Manage diabetes:- At least 68% of people >65 years of age with Diabetes are at high risk of 
dying of some form of Heart Disease and  16% die of stroke . Other risk factors, such as high 
blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, obesity, and lack of physical activity can greatly 
increase a person with diabetes’ chance of developing cardiovascular disease.
Dr. Sarita Rao is one of the Best cardiologists in Indore and ranked amongst the 
Top cardiologist in MP. Book your appointment now for your heart disease treatment with 
Best cardiac surgeon in Indore. For call on +919893925000 or visit our site for more details - 
https://drsaritaraocardiologist.com/
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To More Post: - All You Need to Know About Atrial Fibrillation