Language
Country/Area
No result found
The mystery of sudden death: Why do teenagers die suddenly in their sleep?
Sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS) is a sudden, unexpected death, particularly in adolescents and young adults, from cardiac arrest. Although these deaths are most common during sleep or rest, the specific causes of cardiac arrest remain unclear. In many cases, this syndrome is associated with rare heart conduction defects.
According to studies, heart-related diseases such as cardiomyopathy, congenital heart disease and myocarditis can lead to sudden death in young people.
A conduction defect called Brugada syndrome may be a cause. The syndrome is rare in most of the world but occurs occasionally in culturally and genetically distinct groups of people. Brugada syndrome was first identified in 1977 among Southeast Asian Hmong refugees in the United States and Canada, and between 1982 and 1990, 230 healthy Thai foreign workers in Singapore also died suddenly of unexplained causes. .
Cause of Death
The cause of sudden death in young people may be related to heart disease, including cardiomyopathy, congenital heart disease, myocarditis and hereditary connective tissue disease. Some rare diseases with abnormalities of ion channels may also play a role, such as long QT syndrome and Brugada syndrome. Despite extensive testing, no clear cause of death can be found in about 20% of cases.
"Many scientists have suggested that genetic mutations in heart function may be one of the causes of this death phenomenon."
For example, in a 2011 study, 79.3% of unexplained deaths were attributed to cardiac conditions, while 20.7% remained unexplained. Especially in the Philippines, this death syndrome is also called "bangungot" according to local parlance, mainly caused by Brugada syndrome.
Diagnosis and prevention
By definition, the diagnosis of SADS can only be made posthumously, and other causes of death must have been excluded. A 2011 retrospective cohort study of 15.2 million person-years of surveillance showed that assessing the heart health of young adults under 35 years of age can help prevent sudden death, especially if it focuses on primary arrhythmias.
Among those surveyed, the annual incidence of cardiovascular disease in young patients was 92/100,000.
According to a 2003 study, implantable cardioverter defibrillators are the only proven effective prevention method, while oral beta-adrenergic blockers such as propranolol have been found to be ineffective. .
EpidemiologyThe first report of SADS dates back to 1948, when 81 Filipino men were diagnosed with the condition in Oahu County, Hawaii. The Centers for Disease Control began to monitor SADS in 1980, and reported an active mortality pattern between 1981 and 1982. Studies have shown significant regional differences in causes of death among children and young men and women across ethnic groups, particularly among the Lao people in Southeast Asia and the United States.
In parts of China and Indonesia, this phenomenon has even been given names of evil spirits, such as "being oppressed by a ghost" to describe the feeling of chest pressure that occurs at night, leading people to believe that the interference of souls is quite important. In these socio-cultural contexts, the understanding of this sudden death has gradually been influenced by traditional beliefs.
Society, Culture and Superstition
In the 1970s and 1980s, many people in Southeast Asia were unable to practice normal religious worship due to war, leading them to believe that their souls were threatened. The Hmong people believe that if religious rituals or sacrifices are not completed, the spirits of their ancestors will not be able to protect them, which may lead to attacks by evil spirits. In the United States, refugees from all over the world were unable to find shamans to protect them, so according to local beliefs, most people chose to seek help from the spiritual realm.
The cultural connection between death and soul makes us think deeply: if we cannot find a scientific explanation, then do human beliefs and cultural heritage really lead to these sudden deaths to some extent?
