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Volume-13 Number-1, 2026 / Review Article

Risk Stratification and Prevention of Sudden Cardiac Death: Bridging Structural and Electrical Etiologies

Author:

Shrikant Verma

Department of Personalized and Molecular Medicine, Era University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Sushma Verma

Department of Personalized and Molecular Medicine, Era University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Bashir Ahmad Mir

Department of Cardiology, Era’s Lucknow Medical College and Hospital, Era University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Tabrez Faruqui

Department of Personalized and Molecular Medicine, Era University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Mohammad Abbas

Department of Personalized and Molecular Medicine, Era University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Department of Biotechnology, Era University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Farzana Mahdi

Department of Personalized and Molecular Medicine, Era University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Abstract:

Background: Sudden cardiac events are among the leading causes of mortality worldwide. The term refers to a sudden death from a heart related cause that is usually unexpected and happens within one hour of the first symptom even in people without known heart disease. This paper highlight if Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is mostly due to structural defects of the heart, electrical problems, or a mixture of the two, and how it matters for diagnosis, predicting risks, and prevention.

Methodology: A systematic literature search was done with the help of various electronic databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar.

Output: According to clinical studies imaging autopsy reports, and genetic research, it has been demonstrated that it is the defects in the heart's structure and electrical system that cause deadly arrhythmias. Sudden cardiac events in younger peoples mainly occurs due to inheriting cardiomyopathies and arrhythmogenic channelopathies. Cardiomyopathies lead to risk through their specific structural changes like fibrosis, myocyte disarray, or the presence of adipose tissue. Most electrical disorders are caused by mutations in genes. Beside this, there is growing evidence showing a structural electrical continuum: very small areas of fibrosis or inflammation can cause arrhythmias, and even "pure" electrical diseases may have subtle structural changes. The present study aims to determine if SCD is mainly due to structural heart disease, electrical disorders, or their combination, and this is crucial because a proper mechanistic understanding is the key to better risk stratification, early detection, and effective prevention of fatal cardiac events.