Sudden cardiac death in China.

Preliminary data suggest that sudden cardiac death (SCD) occur at a rate of 41.8/100,000 population in China, accounting for over 544,000 deaths annually. While about 70% of SCD are due to underlying coronary artery disease, several specific cardiomyopathies and hereditary heart diseases are endemic in China. Pharmacological treatment is the main treatment strategy, and both community resuscitation and implantable cardioverter defibrillator therapy are limited by socioeconomic conditions. There is increasing use of catheter ablation for some ventricular arrhythmias. A national project has been started recently for SCD prevention.