Studies reveal that 70% Indians believe that cardiac arrest is just another heart attack. FYI tells you why they couldn't be more wrong, and how you can make sure you don't face the same fate as the King of Pop

The world went into shock on June 25, 2009, when entertainer Michael Jackson died of a cardiac arrest in his Los Angeles home, aged 50. Though experts said that Jackson was suffering from multiple health problems, some doctors believe that the King of Pop was as healthy as the next 50 year-old. The Los Angeles County coroner's report showed that Jackson's heart had no sign of plaque buildup, and his kidneys and most other major organs were normal. This Is It, the film made about the last concert he was supposed to perform at, also shows an energetic Jackson dancing and singing.

Popstar Michael Jackson died in his Los Angeles home this June after suffering from a massive cardiac arrest. PIC/AFP

Closer home, just about a week ago, Ranjan Das, the president of SAP India, died of heart attack, aged 42.

Ranjan was a fitness freak and was actually going home from the gym when he collapsed. Both Jackson and Das were victims of the Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA), which can lead to the death of an individual within a few minutes. As per WHO census statistics, mortality due to cardiac causes has overtaken mortality due to all types of cancers put together. Approximately 4,280 out of every one lakh people die every year from SCA in India alone.

It's different from a heart attack
"Most people think a cardiac arrest is the same as a heart attack. But that's a scary misconception," says Dr Shoaib Padaria, Interventional Cardiologist at Jaslok Hospital. "A cardiac arrest is a sudden stoppage of heart, while a heart attack is when the blood flow to the still-beating heart is interrupted." SCAs usually occur due to two reasons u2014 if there is an electrical problem in the circuits from the heart or if someone is born with a defect, or when a blood vessel suddenly closes down and the heart can't take it. "The first problem is the less serious one, as the patient's heart is used to the circulation problems. But the second problem is what is dangerous for young Indians," says Padaria. "Smoking, eating tobacco, gutka, gorging on fatty and cholesterol-rich food weakens the inner lining of the coronary artery in the heart. When the artery ruptures, the cholesterol gets exposed to the heart, causing blockages and eventually the stoppage of the heart."