Sudden cardiac death is the result of an abrupt loss of heart function. This can affect people who may or may not have previously been diagnosed with heart disease. Sudden cardiac death can occur within minutes of the onset of any symptoms. The time and mode of death are completely unexepected and unpredictable.

All known heart diseases can result in sudden cardiac death. In 90 percent of adult victims of sudden cardiac death, at least two major coronary arteries are blocked and narrowed by fatty buildups. There are other things that can lead to sudden cardiac death including scarring from a prior heart attack, drug abuse, and other heart abnormalities.