A defibrillator saved a Wiggle, and experts say they could help reduce sudden cardiac death globally

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2023-08-27 16:30

Australia; International; NSW; VIC

Photo by P. L. on Unsplash

When yellow Wiggle Greg Page suffered a sudden cardiac arrest in January 2020, a defibrillator helped save his life, and now global experts, including Australians, say access to defibrillators is one of the key recommendations to reduce sudden cardiac death burden in the next decade. The new Lancet Commission report launching at the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2023 proposes key recommendations to reduce the sudden cardiac death burden in the next decade. Other recommendations include making genetic testing for sudden cardiac death risk more available and affordable and exploring the use of big data and deep learning approaches.

Media release

From: The Lancet

The Lancet: The Lancet Commission to reduce the global burden of sudden cardiac death: a call for multidisciplinary action

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is responsible for more than half of all cardiac deaths and may account for up to 15-20% of overall mortality worldwide, with millions of deaths each year. A new Lancet Commission launching at ESC Congress 2023 proposes key recommendations to reduce SCD burden in the next decade, including:

public access defibrillators should be registered, accessible and linked directly to the emergency services, and the possibility of
defibrillator transportation by taxi or drones should be further explored.
genetic testing for SCD risk should be expanded and made more affordable at a global level.

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conference: The Lancet

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Organisation/s: The University of New South Wales, Monash University

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