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[8] Do Patients Presenting with Atherosclerotic Heart Disease and Sudden Cardiac Death Have a Higher Body Mass Index?

Vidhya Nair, Sheena Guglani, Girish M Nair, Michael Pickup, Chitra Rao, John Fernandes. Hamilton Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada

Background: A raised body mass index (BMI) has been associated with an increased risk of morbidity and mortality in atherosclerotic coronary heart disease (CHD) patients. We sought to identify an association between sudden cardiac death (SCD) in patients with atherosclerotic CHD and an increased BMI.
Design: A review of all SCD at the Hamilton General Hospital Forensics Unit, for the calendar year 2010, was performed. Clinical details including age, height, weight, symptoms prior to demise and histopathological details from the autopsy were collected. The body mass index was calculated in all cases. Standard statistical methods were used to determine if BMI was higher in patients with atherosclerotic CHD presenting with SCD. The control group for comparison included SCD patients without evidence of atherosclerotic CHD. Sub group analysis included comparison of BMI based on the sex of SCD patients.
Results: One hundred and ten (16.5%) of 666 autopsies conducted in 2010 were classified as SCD. Seventy-one (64.5%) cases of SCD were attributed to atherosclerotic CHD. Sudden cardiac death in the remaining patients was attributed to other causes. The results are summarized in Table 1 and Table 2.

Table 1
SCD patients with atherosclerosis SCD patients without atherosclerosis P-value Paired t-test
Age in years (Mean ± SD) 59.86 ± 11.82 44.10 ± 13.74 <0.001 (HS)
BMI (Mean ± SD) 29.45 ± 7.49 28.37 ± 5.52 0.29 (NS)

Table 2
Male SCD Patients with Atherosclerosis Male SCD Patients without Atherosclerosis P-value Paired t-test Female SCD Patients with Atherosclerosis Female SCD Patients without Atherosclerosis P-value Paired t-test
Age in years (Mean ± SD) 59.70 ± 11.17 40.08 ± 12.91 <0.001 (HS) 60.23 ± 13.45 53.23 ± 11.11 0.078 (NS)
BMI (Mean ± SD) 28.50 ± 6.84 27.70 ± 4.62 0.45 (NS 31.60 ± 8.59 29.89 ± 7.12 0.44 (NS)

Conclusions: A significant difference was not noted in the BMI of SCD patients with and without atherosclerotic CHD. Analysis of BMI based on the sex of the patients also did not demonstrate a significant difference. Men presenting with SCD due to atherosclerotic CHD tended to be significantly older than those presenting with SCD due to other causes.
Category: Autopsy

Wednesday, March 21, 2012 9:30 AM

Poster Session V # 2, Wednesday Morning

Table 1
	SCD patients with atherosclerosis	SCD patients without atherosclerosis	P-value Paired t-test
Age in years (Mean ± SD)	59.86 ± 11.82	44.10 ± 13.74	<0.001 (HS)
BMI (Mean ± SD)	29.45 ± 7.49	28.37 ± 5.52	0.29 (NS)

Table 2
	Male SCD Patients with Atherosclerosis	Male SCD Patients without Atherosclerosis	P-value Paired t-test	Female SCD Patients with Atherosclerosis	Female SCD Patients without Atherosclerosis	P-value Paired t-test
Age in years (Mean ± SD)	59.70 ± 11.17	40.08 ± 12.91	<0.001 (HS)	60.23 ± 13.45	53.23 ± 11.11	0.078 (NS)
BMI (Mean ± SD)	28.50 ± 6.84	27.70 ± 4.62	0.45 (NS	31.60 ± 8.59	29.89 ± 7.12	0.44 (NS)

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