The prevalence of Sudden Cardiac Death among workers: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is one of the main causes of death worldwide, and it continues to be a significant public health concern. In Europe, the prevalence of sudden cardiac death differs between countries and populations; it is estimated to account for approximately 20% of all deaths. However, there are few data regarding the prevalence of SCD among employees. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to investigate the prevalence of this phenomenon in workers and recommend potential interventions and preventive measures that could be implemented in the workplace to reduce the risk of SCD in employees. METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed on three databases: PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, according to the PRISMA statement. There were no time restrictions placed on the evaluation of English-language source documents. Using the Egger regression model, publication bias was evaluated. A forest plot was used to demonstrate the pooled prevalence of Sudden Cardiac Death in workers. STATA Software/MP, version 14.1 was used for the statistical analyses. RESULTS: The initial search resulted 1,408 relevant articles across all three databases; after removing duplicates and filtering the abstracts, the full texts of 23 articles were reviewed, and 17 were excluded due to a wrong outcome. Six articles were subsequently included in the systematic review and meta-analysis. A proportional meta-analysis was carried out on the 6 included studies and the pooled prevalence of Sudden Cardiac Death in employees was 17.48% (95% CI: 6.70-31.91%). CONCLUSIONS: SCD is a severe and potentially preventable illness that can affect employees and cause fallout from European and global health policies. We can reduce the incidence of SCD and enhance the cardiovascular health and well-being of workers by identifying and addressing work-related risk factors, providing appropriate screening and interventions, and promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors. KEY MESSAGES: • Promote a healthy lifestyle in the workplace, such as regular physical activity, healthy eating and stress reduction techniques, at European and global level. • Implement, in European countries and worldwide, screening strategies during health surveillance visit, such as performing ECGs or specialist cardiology consultations, for the work population at risk.