Could fluctuating levels of sex hormones cause sudden cardiac arrest?

A study, published in the journal Heart Rhythm, carried out by an Indian-origin cardiologist and his team found association between levels of sex hormones in the blood and heart rhythm disorder. According to Sumeet Chugh, lead researcher of the study and director of the heart rhythm centre at Cedars Sinai Heart Institute in the US, this is the first study to report a link between levels of sex hormones and sudden cardiac arrest.

For the study, researchers measured blood hormone levels in 149 patients who had a sudden cardiac arrest. They compared these readings with blood levels of sex hormones in 149 patients who had coronary artery disease but did not have sudden cardiac arrest. The study found that men having sudden cardiac arrest had lower levels of testosterone. The levels of estrogen were found to higher in  higher in both men and women.

Based on the findings, the study implied that higher testosterone (the predominant male sex hormone) levels in men may offer protection against sudden cardiac arrest while lower levels of estrogen (the major female sex hormone) could prevent cardiac arrest in both men and women.

What is cardiac arrest?

It refers to the condition where the heart stops pumping blood and there is no blood circulation. A cardiac arrest is different from a heart attack in the sense that in a heart attack (myocardial infarction) the blood flow to the heart is impaired. It requires immediate medical attention and can be reversed in certain situations if treated quickly. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to restart blood circulation followed by defibrillation (giving an electric shock) to restart the natural cardiac pacemaker is the usual procedure to deal with cardiac arrests.

With inputs from IANS


For more articles on diseases & conditions , visit our diseases & conditions section. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest updates! For daily free health tips, sign up for our newsletter. And for health-related queries, visit our Questions and Answers section.