<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;">The recent deaths of a string of celebrities including Raju Srivastava, Sidharth Shukla, singer KK among many others due to sudden cardiac arrest and heart attack has sent shockwaves across the country.&nbsp;</span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As the cardiac deaths rise, health experts have been warning people to keep an eye on the warning signs and also stressing on learning the first aid treatment technique in case somene gets a sudden cardiac arrest or heart attack around you. While cardiac arrest and heart attack look like similar conditions, it is important to know the difference between the two.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Heart attack occurs when one of the coronary arteries is blocked and your heart muscles do not get adequate blood supply to function while in case of a sudden cardiac arrest, there is abrupt loss of heart function, breathing and consciousness. Sudden cardiac arrest can lead to death if not treated immediately and literally every second counts when a person suffers from it.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><b>What is sudden cardiac arrest</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">"The heart is operated by a complex, inbuilt electrical system that helps in maintaining a healthy heartbeat as it pumps blood across the body. However, many a times, the electrical signals can get blocked or jumbled, causing the heart to beat too quickly.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The heart rate might suddenly increase to 300 beats per minute or higher from its typical resting range of 60 to 100 beats per minute. As this happens, the heart muscle quivers and loses its ability to pump blood efficiently (or suddenly stops beating) resulting in sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). SCA can affect people of all genders and age groups.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There are numerous factors that can contribute to SCA, but no matter the reason, it can turn into a life-threatening event," says Dr P.K. Hazra, Head of Department, Cardiology at AMRI Hospitals, Kolkata.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The difference between sudden cardiac arrest and heart attack</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"It is important to realize that a sudden cardiac arrest differs from a heart attack, which happens when one or more of the patient's coronary arteries get blocked. However, an acute heart attack can sometimes trigger an electrical disturbance as its pumping efficiency becomes weak and blood circulation gets low, resulting in a sudden cardiac arrest," says Dr Hazra. HT</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>