1Junior Resident, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Maharishi Markandeshwar Institute of Medical Sciences And Research, Mullana (Ambala), Haryana, India
2Assistant Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Maharishi Markandeshwar Institute of Medical Sciences And Research, Mullana (Ambala), Haryana, India
3Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Maharishi Markandeshwar Institute of Medical Sciences And Research, Mullana (Ambala), Haryana, India
4Junior Resident, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Maharishi Markandeshwar Institute of Medical Sciences And Research, Mullana (Ambala), Haryana, India
5Professor & Head, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Maharishi Markandeshwar Institute of Medical Sciences And Research, Mullana (Ambala), Haryana, India
*Corresponding Author: Dr. Prakash Jakhar, MBBS Junior Resident, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Maharishi Markandeshwar Institute of Medical Sciences And Research, Mullana (Ambala), Haryana, Email ID: prkjat9999@gmail.com Contact : +918005568715
Online published on 24 September, 2025.
Sudden deaths happen in those individuals who have an unknown or undiagnosed disease. Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is the most prevalent worldwide cause of sudden death, and its cause and epidemiology are still being studied in different regions in India.
This retrospective study analyzed 41 (5.2%) SCDs of the 779 autopsies conducted at a tertiary healthcare center in Northern Haryana, India, over five years (January 2019 to December 2023).
Males were majorly affected with 33 (80.5%) SCDs. Most SCDs were in the 41-50 years age group, with 10 (24.4%) followed by 9 (22.0%) cases each in the 21-30 and 31-40 years age groups. Most hearts (29.3%) weighed between 351 and 400 g; in 75.6% of SCDs, the heart weighed more than 300 grams. Among the causes of death observed, the most common was acute coronary insufficiency (ACI) due to coronary atherosclerosis, with 29 (70.7%) cases, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy was observed in the rest. Among the 29 cases of SCDs due to ACI, single and double coronary vessel narrowing was observed equally, with 13 cases each, and 3 cases had triple vessel involvement. Most commonly involved was the left anterior descending artery in 23 (56.1%) cases. The most common risk factor was obesity, observed in 26 (63.4%) SCDs, followed by hypertension, three (7.3%) cases.
The findings emphasize the need for early cardiovascular risk assessment, especially for middle-aged men, and the urgent need for public health initiatives to lower the prevalence of SCDs in this region.
Sudden Death, Sudden Cardiac Death, Coronary Atherosclerosis, Coronary Artery Disease, Acute Coronary Insufficiency, Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
