Abstract 12793: Anemia and the Risk of Sudden Cardiac Arrest in General Population

Abstract

Introduction: Anemia might be associated with increased sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) in several cardiovascular diseases. However, the relationship between anemia and SCA is still unclear in general population. Hypothesis: This study assessed the effect of anemia on SCA in general population. Methods: From the Korean National Health Insurance Database Cohort (NHID-Cohort), we studied 494,948 subjects (mean age, 47.8 [SD, 14.2] years; 245,333 men [49.6%]) with national health check-up. Hemoglobin (Hb, g/dl) was evaluated as both a continuous and a categorical variable (mild anemia, 11 to < 13 for men and 11 to < 12 for women; moderate anemia, 8 to < 11; and severe anemia < 8). Results: During a mean follow up period of 5.4 years, SCA occurred in 989 participants (352 women). Incidence rates for SCA increased across the 4 anemia groups in men (0.5, 2.6, 8.8, and 8.9 per 1000 person-years) and women (0.3, 0.7, 0.9, and 1.9 per 1000 person-years), respectively. In multivariable models adjusted for cardiovascular factors and interim myocardial infarction, a 26 and 28% increased in SCA risk per 1-unit decrease in Hb was observed in men (95% confidence interval [CI], 20-33%; P<.001) and in women (95% CI, 19-39%; P<.001). Adjusted hazard ratios for SCA associated with anemia were 2.08 (95% CI, 1.71-2.53; P<.001) and 1.88 (95% CI, 1.50-2.35; P<.001) for men and women, respectively, compared with individuals without anemia. Adjusted hazard ratios of SCA also increased as severity of anemia. (Severe anemia; 7.58 [95% CI, 2.82-20.35; P<.001] and 7.81 [95% CI, 3.45-17.67; P<.001)] in men and women, respectively) Conclusions: Anemia was associated with increased risk of SCA in general population. Anemia should, therefore, be considered as a useful prognosticator, and therapeutic strategies aimed to increase hemoglobin levels in general population should be investigated.