Cardiac arrest meaning: Causes, symptoms and more; it’s different from heart attack

Epigamia co-founder Rohan Mirchandani passed away on December 21 due to cardiac arrest, as confirmed in an official statement.  He was 42. The startup’s senior leadership, including COO and founding member Ankur Goel and co-founder Uday Thakker, will continue managing daily operations with support from the board of directors, as per NDTV Profit.

Epigamia is a Mumbai-based D2C food and beverage company that offers products like Greek yogurt, curd, beverages, milkshakes, smoothies and kheer. Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone, an investor in the company, invested in Epigamia’s Series C funding round in 2019.

Cardiac arrest is claiming the lives of younger individuals. In India, celebrities like actor Sidharth Shukla, singer KK and Puneeth Rajkumar died of cardiac arrest. Shukla was 40, KK 53 and Puneeth 46 when they passed away. Let’s take a look at the causes and symptoms of cardiac arrest.

Cardiac arrest is a sudden and life-threatening condition where the heart stops functioning due to an irregular heartbeat, disrupting blood flow to the brain and other vital organs. This leads to immediate loss of consciousness and breathing.

Without prompt medical intervention, such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED), cardiac arrest can result in death within minutes.

Cardiac arrest: Causes

The primary cause of cardiac arrest is often an abnormal heart rhythm called arrhythmia, which prevents the heart from pumping blood effectively, according to the Mayo Clinic. A heart attack, though different from cardiac arrest, can sometimes trigger the condition by altering the heart’s electrical activity.

Other causes include severe blood loss, imbalanced potassium levels, coronary artery disease or heart failure. Genetic factors, such as inherited heart rhythm disorders, can also increase the risk of cardiac arrest.

Cardiac arrest: Symptoms

The symptoms of cardiac arrest are usually sudden and severe, making it crucial to act quickly. These include sudden collapse, absence of a pulse, no breathing and loss of consciousness.

In some cases, individuals may experience warning signs before cardiac arrest occurs. These signs include chest discomfort or pain, shortness of breath, palpitations and general weakness or fatigue. However, in many cases, cardiac arrest strikes without prior warning.