A 14-year-old boy died due to cardiac arrest while running a race in Florida. A 15-year-old girl also died of cardiac arrest in India's Gujrat. Why are youngsters dying of heart disease?

Gravitas: Why are teens dying of cardiac arrest?

Bollywood&#39;s first female superstar&nbsp;Sridevi died of a cardiac arrest late Saturday night.&nbsp;

Her death has left the nation in shock, with people asking how a person who looked healthy could have died without any warning.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/sridevi-had-no-history-of-heart-ailment-sanjay-kapoor-34009">Sridevi had no history of heart ailment says </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/sridevi-had-no-history-of-heart-ailment-sanjay-kapoor-34009">Sanjay</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/sridevi-had-no-history-of-heart-ailment-sanjay-kapoor-34009"> Kapoor</a>

The answer to that of course is a sudden cardiac arrest, which can be caused by a heart attack, but which is not necessarily the same thing as a heart attack.&nbsp;

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-sridevis-last-rites-to-take-place-on-monday-afternoon-34047">Sridevi&#39;s last rites to be conducted Monday afternoon</a>

What is a sudden cardiac arrest?

The heart abruptly stops functioning during a sudden cardiac arrest. There are no prior symptoms.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/sridevi-the-diva-who-lit-up-indian-cinema-screen-33979">The diva who lit up Indian cinema screen</a>

When&nbsp;the heart stops, the brain and other vital organs stop receiving oxygen. If not treated, death can ensue in minutes.

Symptoms: The sypmtoms of a cardiac arrest include a person suddenly&nbsp;collapsing, the loss of consciousness, the absence of a pulse, and a person not breathing.

Risk Factors:&nbsp;

&bull;Previous heart attack - 75% of SCA cases are linked to a previous heart attack 
&bull;Coronary artery disease 
&bull;Family history &ndash; genetic reasons put even younger populations at risk 
&bull;Cardiomyopathy 
&bull;Cardiac failure

What is a heart attack?

A heart attack occurs when a blood clot blocks blood flow to the heart, causing blockage of an artery. Again, without blood flow, the body&#39;s vital organs are starved of oxygen, which can lead to death.

A heart attack is easier to spot because it comes with prior symptoms, like tightness of the chest or chest pain, a sharp ache in the left arm, fatigue, lightheadedness and an abnormal heartbeat.

Symptoms: The symptoms of a heart attack aren&#39;t always obvious but they include discomfort in the left side of the chest/upper abdomen, shortness of breath from any from any form of exertion, a cold sweat, and vomiting/nausea.

Risk Factors:&nbsp;

&bull;Age&nbsp; 
&bull;High blood pressure (hypertension) 
&bull;Smoking 
&bull;High serum cholesterol 
&bull;Family history of coronary disease 
&bull;Diabetes 
&bull;Stress and obesity

Cardiac arrest vs heart attack: How are they different?

A cardiac arrest is sudden, unexpected and occurs when your heart stops pumping blood to your body. A heart attack occurs when blood flow to the heart is blocked.

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Sridevi, Bollywood's first female superstar, died of a sudden cardiac arrest. It is not necessarily the same thing as a heart attack

Bollywood's first female superstar Sridevi died of a cardiac arrest late Saturday night. Her death has left the nation in shock, with people asking how a person who looked healthy could have died without any warning. Also read: Sridevi had no history of heart ailment says Sanjay Kapoor The answer to that of course is a sudden cardiac arrest, which can be caused by a heart attack, but which is not necessarily the same thing as a heart attack. Also read: Sridevi's last rites to be conducted Monday afternoon What is a sudden cardiac arrest? The heart abruptly stops functioning during a sudden cardiac arrest. There are no prior symptoms. Also read: The diva who lit up Indian cinema screen When the heart stops, the brain and other vital organs stop receiving oxygen. If not treated, death can ensue in minutes. Symptoms: The sypmtoms of a cardiac arrest include a person suddenly collapsing, the loss of consciousness, the absence of a pulse, and a person not breathing. Risk Factors: •Previous heart attack - 75% of SCA cases are linked to a previous heart attack •Coronary artery disease •Family history – genetic reasons put even younger populations at risk •Cardiomyopathy •Cardiac failure What is a heart attack? A heart attack occurs when a blood clot blocks blood flow to the heart, causing blockage of an artery. Again, without blood flow, the body's vital organs are starved of oxygen, which can lead to death. A heart attack is easier to spot because it comes with prior symptoms, like tightness of the chest or chest pain, a sharp ache in the left arm, fatigue, lightheadedness and an abnormal heartbeat. Symptoms: The symptoms of a heart attack aren't always obvious but they include discomfort in the left side of the chest/upper abdomen, shortness of breath from any from any form of exertion, a cold sweat, and vomiting/nausea. Risk Factors: •Age •High blood pressure (hypertension) •Smoking •High serum cholesterol •Family history of coronary disease •Diabetes •Stress and obesity Cardiac arrest vs heart attack: How are they different? A cardiac arrest is sudden, unexpected and occurs when your heart stops pumping blood to your body. A heart attack occurs when blood flow to the heart is blocked. ×

Sridevi: Understanding the difference between sudden cardiac arrest and heart attack

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Gravitas: Why are teens dying of cardiac arrest?

Sridevi: Understanding the difference between sudden cardiac arrest and heart attack