My husband passed away suddenly last month. He collapsed at home and the ambulance crew couldn’t get his heart started again for a long time which resulted in unrecoverable brain damage. He was only in his mid forties. The post mortem did not discover a cause of death so his heart was removed for testing. I feel traumatised by everything that has happened (I did chest compressions under guidance from the 999 operator). Not knowing the cause is making everything that much harder to deal with. Could someone with no known heart condition just die so suddenly? I am also being told our primary aged children may need to be tested for hereditary heart conditions. I don’t know what I’m asking I’m just looking for somewhere to try and make sense of what’s happened I guess. Has anyone else experienced something similar?
sudden heart related death: My husband... - British Heart Fou...
sudden heart related death
Hi Squishmallow
It seems wrong to have liked your post, I really am so sorry to hear your husband has passed away.
It's not quite the same but my husband also had a cardiac arrest at the age of 42 & I helped do CPR on him. That in itself is incredibly traumatic without the added trauma you're having to deal with. Something like only 5-8% of those who have an out of hospital cardiac arrest survive.
To answer your question, it's not common but neither is it unusual for someone to have a cardiac arrest but the cause is never found. It is usual for your children to be tested to see if there is a genetic link & if necessary they'll have regular check ups to ensure they remain healthy.
If you are on Facebook can I suggest you join the group below. They're affiliated with SAD's & they're a really lovely & supportive group who understand what you're going through & will be able to advise & maybe guide you on where to find answers to the many questions you must have.
I have absolutely no words that will bring you comfort, please know that you really did give your husband the best chance ever. Massive hugs for you & your family xx
Hello 
I am so sorry to read your post you must be traumatised and in such shock and I am so very sorry for your loss of your Husband
Sometimes people can have a heart attack that can be fit and healthy in every way not knowing something is wrong with their heart and sadly pass away which I know must be adding so much more pain to your loss waiting to see what was the cause was but you will get the answers and I really hope they come back soon with what was wrong
I know you will be worried about your Children and if this is something hereditary but again until you know try not to worry even though I can imagine that is very difficult at the moment
You did all you could to try and save your Husband and you followed everything you were asked to do so please do not think any of this was because you did not do all you could as you did everything possible
You must be grieving at the same time as trying to stay strong for your Children and I hope you have friends and family supporting you
Others will come along that maybe will be able to relate to what has happened and I am sure they will reply when they do
Please feel you can come and talk with us and if there is anything we can reply to help we will or knowing we are listening and you are not alone can sometimes be a help
Please let us know how you get on our thoughts are with you x
I am so sorry for the loss of your husband and he was so young, unfortunately I know of two other cases of this happening to two people in my daughter-in-laws family not related to each other but both in their early 30s. Both leaving very young children. Hope you get some answers to why this happened. Sending you lots of love.
Very sorry to hear about your husband and being so young I didn't no I was born with two faulty values not untill I couldn't breathe properly had two heart attacks and didn't no just unwell not untill Dec last year when I had heart failure and was unconscious before I got to hospital did it really sink in now I've had surgery not 100 percent well but I try make most of everyday .lam sure most people who have had some heart problems live with the fact that any minute day or night it could all end .It must be a terrible shock for you and if your children my have heart problems in later life be good if a doctor checks it out better safe than sorry . Best wishes most people do really help each other with their stories and advice now you have to look after yourself for the sake of your children many blessings
So sorry for your loss, such a shock and dealing with the aftermath will be difficult.
I offer this link in the hope that it may answer a few questions, possibly pose some to ask your doctor to help explain the difference between heart attack and SCA or sudden cardiac arrest
Hi there
I am so sorry to hear about your husband. My husband had a cardiac arrest 2 and half years ago but luckily we had just got to a&e as he said he didn't feel too good (in his words).
I was told that had we not got to a&e he would not have survived either, but we were very lucky.
However, they have still never been able to tell us why it happened as he had no history for heart issues and is fit and healthy. Also no family history. He had a blockage in his left ventricle which they believe to have been plaque or a blood clot which was then moved with a stent. The best answer we had was probably caused by stress as he has his own business which can be stressful.
My thoughts are with you and your family, and maybe sharing our story will help you xx
I can relate to your experience in so many ways. Six years ago my husband had a cardiac arrest at home. We had no previous knowledge that he had anything wrong with his health. At the time he was 56. Like you I performed CPR on him while I waited for the paramedics to arrive. My husband is in that small number who did survive. He has some small issues with his memory as a result.
After 3 weeks in ITU and cardiology he was fitted with an implanted defibrillator. It was discovered that he has a condition called long QT syndrome. After a battery of tests he was seen by the genetics team to see if he and his family needed genetic testing. They found no genetic reason for QT syndrome, so we are still unclear what the cause is.
Like everyone who reads your post I am sorry you have lost your husband and life partner. The trauma of doing CPR has stayed with me over the years since my experience, but one thing you can remember you did your absolute best for your husband; Many would just freeze and do nothing. You are left with many questions and I hope you can get some of those answered over time.
This forum, and as others have mentioned the sudden cardiac arrest forum, can help you know you are not alone.
If, and when, you find answers please let us know.
I am so sorry to hear of your husband's sudden death. I cannot imagine your loss and no words I can give will assuage your grief.
But to answer your question there is an advert in the British Heart Foundations latest magazine stating that 12 people a week under the age of 35 die from sudden cardiac death in the UK. And therefore I would presume given their age for the vast majority no previous cardiac conditions were diagnosed.
I hope you get support from your family and friends, it's a terrible loss and difficult to come to terms with.
Very saddened to hear this!
I am very sorry to read this. We cannot begin to know how you must feel after your tragic loss. My brother in law died suddenly from heart failure, quite unexpectedly. He did have other health issues but his heart was not known to be one of them. He collapsed and died in the bathroom at 7 am while my sister still slept.
The shock for you and your children must be unbelievable and I hope you are getting the support you all need.
Hi,Really sorry to hear your sad news. As others have said a cardiac arrest can happen for no obvious reason.
I have found out from a survivors group, Sudden Cardiac Arrest UK, that I seem to be in the minority in that I had something wrong with my heart although I had not been aware of it prior to my cardiac arrest.
It would be worth you having a look at the website for Sudden Cardiac Arrest as I think there are links to a support group for people who have been through what you have.
I hope you get some answers and that you and your children are able to move forwards, life can be very cruel.
Take care.
Andy
My family has a history of sudden death. It has only been in the past three years that we have been given a diagnosis of Lamin cardiomyopathy, which is caused by a faulty gene. The first presentation of Lamin cardiomyopathy can be sudden death.
I hope that the doctors can give you some answers as to what happened with your husband’s heart. I remember feeling bewildered when my mother died suddenly when I was 17. It felt so cruel. The technology wasn’t available back then to give a reason/diagnosis. Be prepared that even nowadays they still may not be able to give you a reason why.
There are SADS support groups you can go to who will understand everything that you are going through.
I am so sorry for your and your children’s loss. My family experienced something very similar when my mother died suddenly and unexpectedly aged 41. She had no known heart condition at the time and sadly her post mortem was inconclusive. The assumption was that she’d had a fatal arrhythmia. Initially they worked off the basis that it was likely long QT syndrome, but I have since been diagnosed with non-sustained ventricular tachycardia, so my belief now is that she probably had a sustained episode of VT. my understanding is that when something goes wrong with the electrical pathways in the heart it can’t be picked up on post mortem as the electricity is now gone. The coroner advised that our whole family be tested. It turns out that most of my aunts and uncles had different arrhythmias and some had cardiomyopathy. I have both. I don’t say this to scare you but just to emphasise the importance of having your children tested as well as your husbands family. We haven’t had any other sudden deaths in our family as a result of that testing. All of the people who did get a diagnosis have lived long a fulfilled lives as their conditions have been managed. I hope some of this helps. All the best
I am so very sorry for the loss of your husband, I do understand how much of a shock it is. I hope you have some support around you to help you through it.
I lost my daughter 18 years ago aged 39 in a similar way, she was on her own at the time, so no attempts could be made to revive her. I was told at the time, that even if someone was with her, they probably would not been able to "bring her back". Prior to this happening, they were very few signs or symptoms, but on reflection you can look back and see certain things, like dizziness and feeling faint. She was seen and investigated at times, but nothing was picked up. Her heart, like your husbands was removed after death to see if they could discover the reason for her sudden death. They listed a few things ie mitral valve floppiness, plus other minor things. There is a very good and supportive group in the UK, it is run by Ann Jolly and called SADS UK , they did help me a lot after it first happened and will continue to do so if you need it. My daughter's son who was 13 at the time used to suffer from syncope and it was advised (he came to live with me after his mother had died) he had tests done relating to his heart. The tests didn't actually find anything, but they were thorough.
It is such a sad loss for you, so much for you to deal with. I feel for you, I hope you find some help and comfort, it is a lot to come to terms with.
I myself am waiting for valve repair surgery, open heart, at the end of this month, but can relate to your post, so wanted to reply.
My thoughts are with you, sending love and kindness to you and your family xx
I'm so sorry for you and you childrens loss. I'm at a loss of what else to say.
I am 52 and had a cardiac arrest at home in February, and have no previous heart conditions.
I am very lucky to be alive, the ambulances arrived very quickly and resuscitated me with CPR and two defib shocks. An hour or so after arriving at hospital, I had another cardiac arrest and this time it took 11 defib shocks. I was put in a coma, had an angiogram and a stent fitted and spent four days in ICU. My partner was told to prepare for the worst the night of the event.
I don't know what caused my cardiac arrests, or rather what caused the blockage that led to it. I have no previous heart conditions, I don't drink, don't smoke (gave up 19 years ago) and was quite fit. My cholestoral level was ok, not great, but not bad either. I did have covid for 2 weeks with very mild symptoms just prior to the cardiac arrests, and friends and family speculated that this could be related, but no medical professional made the connection.
I’m not sure if this is the correct way to reply as this is my first post but hopefully this will work. Thank you so much to everyone who has replied and for sharing your experiences with me. The person who mentioned stress, this might have been a factor, this is something I have been thinking as my husband worked so hard and I had been asking him to take it a bit easier lately but he said he was too busy with work. Also the mention of covid could also be relevant as myself and the kids all had covid the week he died and I was very poorly in bed with it the day before it happened. I wonder if this triggered something to do with his heart. I guess I will just need to wait for the pathologist results but it’s tough not knowing and I realise, like some of you mentioned, we may never know why it happened. I really appreciate all of the support, thank you
I haven’t any answers but please accept a virtual hug. 🥲
I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your husband.
I have had two close relatives who experienced out of hospital cardiac arrests. Sadly only one survived.
I have also performed CPR, as a bystander, when I saw someone collapse. I carried on until the Paramedics arrived, they later died in hospital.
I can also recommend Sudden Cardiac Arrest UK for support.
I also took my then teenage children to CRY a charity that does ECGs to check for heart rhythm problems in young people.
Please accept my condolences to you and your children.
I hope you are able to find the support you need as a whole family.
Hi, Squishmallow123,
I am so terribly sorry for your husband’s sudden death and for all that you have gone through. You are likely still in the early stages of grief and still in shock from it all. My heart goes out to you and your children
I have not experienced what you have been through, but I can say that many people are likely walking around everyday with undiagnosed heart disease. They are totally unaware that they have a major health issue. For many of us who have had a HA, we all say that it was a shock—that it was like a bolt of lightning coming out of the blue—that we had no idea. Suddenly, we find ourselves in the hospital with our lives forever changed. So, I guess that I am saying that it is possible that your husband looked and seemed to be perfectly fine—but he may have had a genetic heart defect-issue, or he may have had severe artery blockages, or something else.
Again, I am very sorry for your loss. ❤️
I’ll just add my huge sympathy to all the other voices here. I haven’t any words of advice or knowledge that can assist other than asking you to look after yourself and accept help and support from those you trust.
Getting your children checked for any hereditary heart issues when suggested by a health professional / in the fullness of time would be sensible but maybe don’t make a big thing of it immediately as they could get fearful and lose confidence on top of the shock and grief.
Wishing you strength and courage in a very challenging and sad situation. Xx
so sorry for your loss. I died Feb 2023 but was resuscitated aged 41 while swimming. I'm not going to go into my story because you have your own problems but I wanted to chip in regarding your statement about your children. It touched a nerve because I also had under 10s and I was really stressed about them and what could happen. I have CPVT which is a genetic problem. I suggest you look into CPVT, brugada syndrome, short qt syndrome, long qt. Syndrome, cardiomyopathy and start looking with family's help back into the past to see if you can identify any patterns that will speed diagnosis up. It is super sad about your husband but I've no doubt both of you would put more importance now on your kids being as safe as possible going forwards. On a positive note mine were clear when tested so it's not always a horror story. Best of luck.
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