Herztodes

Herztodes is a term used in German-language medical literature to denote fatalities caused by heart disease. It covers deaths directly due to cardiac conditions, including sudden cardiac death caused by abrupt arrhythmias, as well as deaths from progressive heart failure, myocardial infarction, or structural heart disease.

In German statistics, Herztodes serves as an umbrella category in cause-of-death coding alongside other natural causes. The term distinguishes primarily between plötzlicher Herztod (sudden cardiac death) and other cardiac deaths.

Causes and mechanisms: the leading cause is coronary artery disease, but others include dilated or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, valvular disease, myocarditis, and arrhythmogenic disorders. Sudden cardiac death often results from ventricular tachyarrhythmias and abrupt hemodynamic collapse; non-sudden cardiac death may follow progressive heart failure or acute myocardial infarction.

Diagnosis and coding: attribution typically relies on death certificates; autopsy can confirm the cause in some cases. The heart-related cause may be recorded as the underlying cause with contributing factors such as coronary heart disease or heart failure.

Prevention and public health: reducing the burden of Herztodes focuses on risk-factor management, timely treatment of acute coronary syndromes, access to emergency care, public defibrillation programs, and optimal management of chronic heart disease.