What is cardiac arrest?

I'm sure everyone heard in the last week about cardiac arrest. Why? Because the King of Pop, Michael Jackson was delievered after suffering from cardiac arrest in the hospital.

What does cardiac arrest mean and how does it affect the person that it was so deadly for Michael Jackson?

Cardiac arrest is a sudden disturbance in the heart's rhythm which can cause a complete stop of the heart or such a slowing down that life is no more sustainable! Every year around 330.000 Americans die because of cardiac arrest (Michael Jackson is not alone, perhaps it helps to bring some light on this severe body condition!).
In opposition to a heart attack, where the heart is still beating, cardiacarrest has to be treated immidiately, if not you will suffer from sudden cardiac death (SCD).

If cardiac arrest appears before a baby reaches 6 months, it's often called sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
Another point is that is found more often in the black population compared to the white one. Hispanic population have a lower risk than non-Hispanic, too!