Acute cardiac care & resuscitationCohort study
Income-related disparities in sudden cardiac arrest among young adults: a nationwide cohort study
- nationwide cohort study
Authors' conclusion
Lower income status, particularly receipt of medical aid, was independently associated with higher SCA risk among young adults. Socioeconomic disparities in SCA risk were not fully explained by lifestyle or metabolic factors.
Study context
- Population
- Adults aged 20–39 years who underwent health screening between 2009 and 2012, Korean National Health Insurance Service databaseadults aged 20–39 years who underwent health screening between 2009 and 2012
- Participants
- 6,307,644 adults
- Exposure
- income status, geographical region and sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) risk
- Outcome
- incident SCA
- Follow-up
- Through December 2020
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Each group vs lowest quartileAdjusted hazard ratio (95% CI)
highest quartilehigher income associated with lower SCA risk
0.67(0.61–0.73)
medical aid beneficiariessubstantially higher risk
3.44(2.49–4.74)
- individuals who experienced SCA
- 5340 individuals (0.08%)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | highest quartile | lowest quartile | medical aid beneficiaries |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crude incidence rates of SCA · similar across income quartiles | Not reported in the abstract | Not reported in the abstract | 0.28 per 1000 person-years (95% CI 0.21–0.39) |
- Crude incidence rates of SCA: income quartiles 0.09 per 1000 person-years
Geographical variation and income-region interaction
- Geographical variation in SCA incidence was modest
- no significant interaction between income status and region
Mediation analysis
- modifiable risk factors explained only a small proportion of the income-SCA association
Original publication
Income-related disparities in sudden cardiac arrest among young adults: a nationwide cohort study. Heart. Published 27 January 2026. doi:10.1136/heartjnl-2025-326763
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it