Latino Health Alert: Kidney Disease Linked to Cardiac Arrest

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Hispanics and Latinos with kidney problems need to be extra cautious, says a recent study from Cedars-Sinai. The research found that those with chronic kidney disease are at higher risk for sudden cardiac arrest, when the heart stops unexpectedly.

Dr. Kyndaron Reinier, lead author of the study, highlighted the low survival rate (less than 10%) during sudden cardiac arrest. He recommends close monitoring and management of kidney disease for this group.

Part of the ongoing Prediction of Sudden Death in Multi-Ethnic Communities (PRESTO) project, the study looked at data from 1,468 adults in Ventura County who had sudden cardiac arrest between 2015 and 2021. They analyzed things like age, sex, and different health factors. 

The findings showed that people who had sudden cardiac arrest were more likely to have chronic kidney disease, stroke, atrial fibrillation, coronary artery disease, heart failure, diabetes, or a history of heavy drinking.

In fact, out of those who had sudden cardiac arrest, 51% had already been diagnosed with chronic kidney disease, and 20% were on dialysis at the time. 

This is the first such analysis of risk factors for sudden cardiac arrest among Hispanic and Latino populations in the US.