SCA Statistics
SCA can happen to anyone, anywhere, anytime - a family member at home, friend at the park, or a colleague at
work. SCA has been shown to be the leading cause of death in the United States, taking the lives of 350,000
people annually1.
SCA, however, is also a condition that is commonly misunderstood, especially in younger individuals. While most
prevalent in older populations, SCA affects between 7,000 to 23,000 youth (under 18 years of age) annually,
according to the American Heart Association2. It has been shown that SCA is the leading cause of death on school campuses and the primary cause of death for student athletes3.
Despite these estimates, the precise incidence of SCA in younger populations is likely far greater than presently
reported due to a lack of a national centralized registry that documents all cases of SCA (or sudden cardiac
death - SCD) in youth4.
1 American Heart Association - Sudden Cardiac Arrest Facts (2021)
2 American Heart Association Heart Disease & Stroke Statistics (2019 Update)
3 Journal of Athletic Training (2017)
4 Cardiac Screening of Young Athletes: a Practical Approach to Sudden Cardiac Death Prevention (Journal of Current Treatment Options in Cardiovascular Medicine) (2018)