A two-year retrospective autopsy study at Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH) has found that cardiovascular disease accounts for more than half of sudden natural deaths (SND) in the region, with coronary artery disease (CAD) the single largest cause. Researchers reviewed 3,623 medico-legal autopsies carried out between January 2023 and December 2024 and identified 205 cases (5.65%) that met the study’s definition of SND — deaths occurring within 24 hours of symptom onset or hospital admission, without prior injury, poisoning or known chronic illness.
The victims were overwhelmingly male: 160 cases (78.04%) versus 45 females (21.95%). The 41–60 age group suffered the highest burden, representing 103 deaths (50.24%), followed by 42 deaths (20.48%) in those older than 60. Married persons accounted for 136 of the cases (66.34%), suggesting family status alone did not reduce risk.
Cause-of-death analysis showed cardiovascular conditions in 110 cases (53.65%), with coronary artery disease responsible for 98 deaths (47.80%). Respiratory disorders accounted for 36 cases (17.56%), including lobar pneumonia responsible for about 9.21% of SND. Neurological conditions made up 26 cases (12.68%) and gastrointestinal causes 18 cases (8.78%).
Titled “Unforeseen Demise: A Two-Year Retrospective Study of Sudden Natural Deaths,” the paper lists Dr Nayan Kumar Das, Associate Professor of Forensic Medicine at Nalbari Medical College, as lead author, with co-investigators from AMCH Dr Gurjeet Singh Juneja, Dr Swaraj Phukon, Dr Chinmay Kakati and Dr Nandini Pegu. The authors stress that autopsy remains the gold standard for assigning precise cause of death. The full study was published in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine (Vol. 15, Issue 7, July 2025).
The researchers link the pattern to modifiable risk factors common in Assam, including high tobacco use, stress, sedentary lifestyles and poor access to preventive cardiac screening in rural and semi-urban areas. They call for statewide cardiovascular awareness campaigns, better integration of forensic findings into public health policy and strengthened community-level heart health initiatives.
Health experts have welcomed the study as a wake-up call. With data drawn from more than 3,600 autopsies, the authors say the findings offer rare, evidence-based insight for policymakers confronting the rising tide of non-communicable diseases, and they underline that many of these deaths are preventable through early detection and lifestyle intervention.
Original Source: https://nenow.in/north-east-news/assam/cardiovascular-diseases-cause-over-half-of-sudden-deaths-in-assam-amch-study.html
Category: Assam,Northeast News,Top News
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Publish Date: 2026-04-18 23:05:00
