Drinking white wine and Champagne, eating more fruit and keeping waistlines slim could reduce the risk of sudden cardiac arrest, according to a new study.
Experts have suggested thousands of cardiac arrests could be prevented by tackling health and lifestyle issues.
They found a higher consumption of Champagne or white wine, more fruit, maintaining a positive mood, remaining a healthy weight and keeping blood pressure under control appeared to protect against a cardiac arrest.
People who are more educated also seemed less prone to cardiac arrest, the study suggested, while poor sleep patterns and a lack of exercise could be detrimental.
A cardiac arrest – where the heart suddenly stops beating – is an emergency medical situation that usually happens without warning.
People suddenly collapse and are unconscious, and are not breathing or not breathing normally. Without immediate treatment, people die.
UK figures suggest there are about 30,000 cardiac arrests a year outside of hospital where emergency medical services attempt to resuscitate a person who has collapsed and stopped breathing normally.
The latest study, published in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology, identified 56 risk factors associated with sudden cardiac arrest and found up to 63% of cases might be avoidable.
“As expected, lifestyles account for the most burden,” the researchers said, adding: “Public awareness campaigns should be further encouraged to promote lifestyle interventions.”
The study looked at 502,094 middle-to-older aged people included in the UK Biobank of data.
Of those, 3,147 people suffered sudden cardiac arrest during a typical follow-up period of 13.8 years.
The 56 risk factors identified by researchers included lifestyle factors, socio-economic status, and the local environment, such as exposure to air pollution.
The researchers concluded that between 40% and 63% of sudden cardiac arrest cases may be avoidable when looking at all 56 risk factors.
For lifestyle factors, the study found that a higher consumption of Champagne and/or white wine and fruit intake protected against cardiac arrest, while “fed-up” feelings, high body mass indexes (BMIs) and arm fat mass, high blood pressure, and a lower education level all increased the risk.
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Lead investigator Dr Huihuan Luo, from Fudan University in Shanghai, China, said: “The study found significant associations between various modifiable factors and sudden cardiac arrest, with lifestyle changes being the most impactful in preventing cases.”
In an accompanying editorial, Nicholas Grubic, from the University of Toronto, and Dakota Gustafson, from Queen’s University in Ontario, added: “One of the study’s most intriguing findings is the cardioprotective effect associated with Champagne and white wine consumption, questioning long-held assumptions about the specificity of red wine’s cardioprotective properties.
“Research on the underlying mechanisms remains unclear, but these findings reinforce the idea that the benefits of moderate alcohol consumption may be more complex than previously assumed.”
