Editing Cardiac arrest (section)

=== Primary prevention ===
With the lack of positive outcomes following cardiac arrest, efforts have been spent finding effective strategies to prevent cardiac arrest events. The approach to primary prevention promotes a [[healthy diet]], [[exercise]], limited alcohol consumption, and [[smoking cessation]].<ref name="NHLBI-2016" />

Exercise is an effective preventative measure for cardiac arrest in the general population but may be risky for those with pre-existing conditions.<ref name="Fanous-2019">{{cite journal |vauthors=Fanous Y, Dorian P |date=July 2019 |title=The prevention and management of sudden cardiac arrest in athletes |journal=CMAJ |volume=191 |issue=28 |pages=E787–E791 |doi=10.1503/cmaj.190166 |pmc=6629536 |pmid=31308007}}</ref> The risk of a transient catastrophic cardiac event increases in individuals with heart disease during and immediately after exercise.<ref name="Fanous-2019" /> The lifetime and acute risks of cardiac arrest are decreased in people with heart disease who perform regular exercise, perhaps suggesting the benefits of exercise outweigh the risks.<ref name="Fanous-2019" />

A 2021 study found that diet may be a modifiable risk factor for a lower incidence of sudden cardiac death.<ref name="Shikany-2021">{{cite journal | vauthors = Shikany JM, Safford MM, Soroka O, Brown TM, Newby PK, Durant RW, Judd SE | title = Mediterranean Diet Score, Dietary Patterns, and Risk of Sudden Cardiac Death in the REGARDS Study | journal = Journal of the American Heart Association | volume = 10 | issue = 13 | pages = e019158 | date = July 2021 | pmid = 34189926 | pmc = 8403280 | doi = 10.1161/JAHA.120.019158 }}</ref> The study found that those who fell under the category of having "Southern [United States] diets" representing those of "added fats, fried food, eggs, organ and processed meats, and sugar-sweetened beverages" had a positive association with an increased risk of cardiac arrest, while those deemed following the "[[Mediterranean diet]]s" had an inverse relationship regarding the risk of cardiac arrest.<ref name="Shikany-2021"/> According to a 2012 review published, omega-3 PUFA supplementation is not associated with a lower risk of sudden cardiac death.<ref name="Rizos-2012">{{cite journal|vauthors=Rizos EC, Ntzani EE, Bika E, Kostapanos MS, Elisaf MS|date=September 2012|title=Association between omega-3 fatty acid supplementation and risk of major cardiovascular disease events: a systematic review and meta-analysis|journal=JAMA|volume=308|issue=10|pages=1024–1033|doi=10.1001/2012.jama.11374|pmid=22968891}}</ref>

A [[Cochrane review]] published in 2016 found moderate-quality evidence to show that blood pressure-lowering drugs do not reduce the risk of sudden cardiac death.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Taverny G, Mimouni Y, LeDigarcher A, Chevalier P, Thijs L, Wright JM, Gueyffier F |date=March 2016 |title=Antihypertensive pharmacotherapy for prevention of sudden cardiac death in hypertensive individuals |journal=The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews |volume=2016 |issue=3 |pages=CD011745 |doi=10.1002/14651858.CD011745.pub2 |pmc=8665834 |pmid=26961575}}</ref>

In certain high-risk patient populations, [[implantable cardioverter-defibrillator]]s (ICD) are also used to prevent sudden cardiac death.<ref name="Shun-Shin-2017" /> Such conditions include the inherited arrhythmias (long QT syndrome, Brugada syndrome, etc) and heart failure.