Sudden cardiac death in patients with diabetes.

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) affects over 450,000 people in the United States annually. The mechanisms involved are poorly understood. The predictors currently known include traditional coronary heart disease risk factors, electrocardiographic abnormalities, cardiac autonomic neuropathy, left ventricular hypertrophy, cardiomyopathy, and conduction abnormalities. Diabetes mellitus and impaired glucose tolerance are of special importance due to their increased prevalence reaching epidemic proportions and the elevated risk of SCD in people with these disorders. This article reviews the current predictors of SCD with a focus on people with diabetes, hoping to offer physicians and researchers a better understanding of and a solid ground for further needed research on this important cause of premature death.