Accuracy of media reports in incidence estimation of sudden cardiac arrest and sudden cardiac death in young people and athletes in the United Kingdom

Introduction Accurately determining the incidence of sudden cardiac arrest and death (SCA/D) in young individuals is fundamental to informing prevention strategies and policy. Epidemiological studies often adopt media searches as a method for case identification, which may underestimate the incidence of SCA/D. Purpose This study assessed the proportion of cases of SCA/D identified by media searches from a well-defined cohort of young individuals who underwent cardiac screening, providing an accurate numerator (cases of SCA/D) and denominator (total population and person-years of follow-up). Methods Between 2008–2018, 104,369 consecutive individuals aged 14 – 35 (62% male, 89% white, 9% athletes) underwent a single screening with a questionnaire, electrocardiogram (ECG) and selective echocardiography. Outcomes were obtained through a systematic search from national databases, follow-up questionnaire and direct feedback from the family. Only cases who experienced a SCA/D aged 14 - 35 were included. Subsequently, a custom nationwide media search strategy was devised to identify UK media-reported cases of SCA/D in young individuals. Google, BBC Online, Newspapers.com were searched using prompts including the following keywords: young, athlete, "sudden death", "cardiac arrest". To match the screened cohort, only cases of SCA/D in people aged between 14 and 35 years, reported between 2008 and 2025 were included. If the name of the individual was reported, this was compared to the screened cohort whose demographics (including names) were known. If no name was reported, other characteristics of the event were compared to see if they match a record in the screened cohort. Results Over a mean follow-up of 6.2 ± 2.5 years, the systematic approach confirmed 30 cases of SCA (n = 12) or SCD (n = 18) occurring between the ages of 14 and 35. The incidence of SCA/D was 4.8/100,000 person-years. The nationwide media search identified 148 cases of SCA (n = 42) or SCD (n =106) during the same time period. A name was reported for 147 of those. The clinical characteristics of both cohorts are depicted in Table 1. The diagnoses of both cohorts are summarised in Figure 1. Only one of the 30 (3.3%) cases of SCA/D from the screened cohort was identified by media searches. The individual was an elite professional athlete who suffered SCA during sporting activity. The case was matched by name. Conclusion Media searches missed the great majority of cases of SCA/D in a young, predominantly non-athletic cohort and are at risk of grossly underestimating the incidence of the SCA/D in the general population. This may reflect the lower likelihood of reporting in the general population when compared to elite athletes. The diagnostic information contained in such reports can be useful but is limited by lay reporting.