Explainer | What is sudden cardiac arrest? Causes, prevention and how to help someone struck by one

Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death in young athletes. We talk to heart experts about why it happens and how to save lives

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Denmark’s Joakim Maehle reacts as his teammate Christian Eriksen lies on the pitch after suffering a sudden cardiac arrest during the Euro 2020 soccer match between Denmark and Finland on June 12, 2021. We look at the causes of sudden cardiac arrest, how to prevent it in young athletes, and how to save the life of someone suffering one. Photo: AP

Published: 7:15pm, 16 Aug 2024Updated: 7:17pm, 16 Aug 2024

Zhang Zhijie, an “outstanding” 17-year-old Chinese badminton player, died of sudden cardiac arrest after collapsing on court during a tournament in Indonesia on June 30.

He fell to the floor between points during the match at the 2024 Badminton Asia Junior Championships in Yogyakarta.

In January, after mainland Chinese engineer Zhang Zhichong ran the half marathon race in the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon, the 30-year-old collapsed and died in an MTR station near the finish line at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay.

Before the race, Lobo Louie Hung-tak, associate head of the health and physical education department at the Education University of Hong Kong, said the likelihood of a death among marathon runners was about one in 100,000, and that most were related to hidden and congenital heart issues.

Chinese badminton players and coaches (in white jackets and black armbands), along with all players competing in the 2024 Badminton Asia Junior Championships, pray together for the late Chinese player Zhang Zhijie, in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, on July 1, 2024. Photo: AFP

According to the US-based Mayo Clinic, the leading cause of death in young athletes is sudden cardiac arrest: the sudden loss of all heart activity due to an irregular heart rhythm.