Accessibility Statement Skip Navigation
  • Resources
  • Investor Relations
  • Journalists
  • Agencies
  • Client Login
  • Send a Release
Return to PR Newswire homepage
  • News
  • Products
  • Contact
When typing in this field, a list of search results will appear and be automatically updated as you type.

Searching for your content...

No results found. Please change your search terms and try again.
  • News in Focus
      • Browse News Releases

      • All News Releases
      • All Public Company
      • English-only
      • News Releases Overview

      • Multimedia Gallery

      • All Multimedia
      • All Photos
      • All Videos
      • Multimedia Gallery Overview

      • Trending Topics

      • All Trending Topics
  • Business & Money
      • Auto & Transportation

      • All Automotive & Transportation
      • Aerospace, Defense
      • Air Freight
      • Airlines & Aviation
      • Automotive
      • Maritime & Shipbuilding
      • Railroads and Intermodal Transportation
      • Supply Chain/Logistics
      • Transportation, Trucking & Railroad
      • Travel
      • Trucking and Road Transportation
      • Auto & Transportation Overview

      • View All Auto & Transportation

      • Business Technology

      • All Business Technology
      • Blockchain
      • Broadcast Tech
      • Computer & Electronics
      • Computer Hardware
      • Computer Software
      • Data Analytics
      • Electronic Commerce
      • Electronic Components
      • Electronic Design Automation
      • Financial Technology
      • High Tech Security
      • Internet Technology
      • Nanotechnology
      • Networks
      • Peripherals
      • Semiconductors
      • Business Technology Overview

      • View All Business Technology

      • Entertain­ment & Media

      • All Entertain­ment & Media
      • Advertising
      • Art
      • Books
      • Entertainment
      • Film and Motion Picture
      • Magazines
      • Music
      • Publishing & Information Services
      • Radio & Podcast
      • Television
      • Entertain­ment & Media Overview

      • View All Entertain­ment & Media

      • Financial Services & Investing

      • All Financial Services & Investing
      • Accounting News & Issues
      • Acquisitions, Mergers and Takeovers
      • Banking & Financial Services
      • Bankruptcy
      • Bond & Stock Ratings
      • Conference Call Announcements
      • Contracts
      • Cryptocurrency
      • Dividends
      • Earnings
      • Earnings Forecasts & Projections
      • Financing Agreements
      • Insurance
      • Investments Opinions
      • Joint Ventures
      • Mutual Funds
      • Private Placement
      • Real Estate
      • Restructuring & Recapitalization
      • Sales Reports
      • Shareholder Activism
      • Shareholder Meetings
      • Stock Offering
      • Stock Split
      • Venture Capital
      • Financial Services & Investing Overview

      • View All Financial Services & Investing

      • General Business

      • All General Business
      • Awards
      • Commercial Real Estate
      • Corporate Expansion
      • Earnings
      • Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)
      • Human Resource & Workforce Management
      • Licensing
      • New Products & Services
      • Obituaries
      • Outsourcing Businesses
      • Overseas Real Estate (non-US)
      • Personnel Announcements
      • Real Estate Transactions
      • Residential Real Estate
      • Small Business Services
      • Socially Responsible Investing
      • Surveys, Polls and Research
      • Trade Show News
      • General Business Overview

      • View All General Business

  • Science & Tech
      • Consumer Technology

      • All Consumer Technology
      • Artificial Intelligence
      • Blockchain
      • Cloud Computing/Internet of Things
      • Computer Electronics
      • Computer Hardware
      • Computer Software
      • Consumer Electronics
      • Cryptocurrency
      • Data Analytics
      • Electronic Commerce
      • Electronic Gaming
      • Financial Technology
      • Mobile Entertainment
      • Multimedia & Internet
      • Peripherals
      • Social Media
      • STEM (Science, Tech, Engineering, Math)
      • Supply Chain/Logistics
      • Wireless Communications
      • Consumer Technology Overview

      • View All Consumer Technology

      • Energy & Natural Resources

      • All Energy
      • Alternative Energies
      • Chemical
      • Electrical Utilities
      • Gas
      • General Manufacturing
      • Mining
      • Mining & Metals
      • Oil & Energy
      • Oil and Gas Discoveries
      • Utilities
      • Water Utilities
      • Energy & Natural Resources Overview

      • View All Energy & Natural Resources

      • Environ­ment

      • All Environ­ment
      • Conservation & Recycling
      • Environmental Issues
      • Environmental Policy
      • Environmental Products & Services
      • Green Technology
      • Natural Disasters
      • Environ­ment Overview

      • View All Environ­ment

      • Heavy Industry & Manufacturing

      • All Heavy Industry & Manufacturing
      • Aerospace & Defense
      • Agriculture
      • Chemical
      • Construction & Building
      • General Manufacturing
      • HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning)
      • Machinery
      • Machine Tools, Metalworking and Metallurgy
      • Mining
      • Mining & Metals
      • Paper, Forest Products & Containers
      • Precious Metals
      • Textiles
      • Tobacco
      • Heavy Industry & Manufacturing Overview

      • View All Heavy Industry & Manufacturing

      • Telecomm­unications

      • All Telecomm­unications
      • Carriers and Services
      • Mobile Entertainment
      • Networks
      • Peripherals
      • Telecommunications Equipment
      • Telecommunications Industry
      • VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)
      • Wireless Communications
      • Telecomm­unications Overview

      • View All Telecomm­unications

  • Lifestyle & Health
      • Consumer Products & Retail

      • All Consumer Products & Retail
      • Animals & Pets
      • Beers, Wines and Spirits
      • Beverages
      • Bridal Services
      • Cannabis
      • Cosmetics and Personal Care
      • Fashion
      • Food & Beverages
      • Furniture and Furnishings
      • Home Improvement
      • Household, Consumer & Cosmetics
      • Household Products
      • Jewelry
      • Non-Alcoholic Beverages
      • Office Products
      • Organic Food
      • Product Recalls
      • Restaurants
      • Retail
      • Supermarkets
      • Toys
      • Consumer Products & Retail Overview

      • View All Consumer Products & Retail

      • Entertain­ment & Media

      • All Entertain­ment & Media
      • Advertising
      • Art
      • Books
      • Entertainment
      • Film and Motion Picture
      • Magazines
      • Music
      • Publishing & Information Services
      • Radio & Podcast
      • Television
      • Entertain­ment & Media Overview

      • View All Entertain­ment & Media

      • Health

      • All Health
      • Biometrics
      • Biotechnology
      • Clinical Trials & Medical Discoveries
      • Dentistry
      • FDA Approval
      • Fitness/Wellness
      • Health Care & Hospitals
      • Health Insurance
      • Infection Control
      • International Medical Approval
      • Medical Equipment
      • Medical Pharmaceuticals
      • Mental Health
      • Pharmaceuticals
      • Supplementary Medicine
      • Health Overview

      • View All Health

      • Sports

      • All Sports
      • General Sports
      • Outdoors, Camping & Hiking
      • Sporting Events
      • Sports Equipment & Accessories
      • Sports Overview

      • View All Sports

      • Travel

      • All Travel
      • Amusement Parks and Tourist Attractions
      • Gambling & Casinos
      • Hotels and Resorts
      • Leisure & Tourism
      • Outdoors, Camping & Hiking
      • Passenger Aviation
      • Travel Industry
      • Travel Overview

      • View All Travel

  • Policy & Public Interest
      • Policy & Public Interest

      • All Policy & Public Interest
      • Advocacy Group Opinion
      • Animal Welfare
      • Congressional & Presidential Campaigns
      • Corporate Social Responsibility
      • Domestic Policy
      • Economic News, Trends, Analysis
      • Education
      • Environmental
      • European Government
      • FDA Approval
      • Federal and State Legislation
      • Federal Executive Branch & Agency
      • Foreign Policy & International Affairs
      • Homeland Security
      • Labor & Union
      • Legal Issues
      • Natural Disasters
      • Not For Profit
      • Patent Law
      • Public Safety
      • Trade Policy
      • U.S. State Policy
      • Policy & Public Interest Overview

      • View All Policy & Public Interest

  • People & Culture
      • People & Culture

      • All People & Culture
      • Aboriginal, First Nations & Native American
      • African American
      • Asian American
      • Children
      • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
      • Hispanic
      • Lesbian, Gay & Bisexual
      • Men's Interest
      • People with Disabilities
      • Religion
      • Senior Citizens
      • Veterans
      • Women
      • People & Culture Overview

      • View All People & Culture

      • In-Language News

      • Arabic
      • español
      • português
      • Česko
      • Danmark
      • Deutschland
      • España
      • France
      • Italia
      • Nederland
      • Norge
      • Polska
      • Portugal
      • Россия
      • Slovensko
      • Suomi
      • Sverige
  • Explore Our Platform
  • Plan Campaigns
  • Create with AI
  • Distribute Press Releases
  • Amplify Content
  • All Products
  • General Inquiries
  • Editorial Bureaus
  • Partnerships
  • Media Inquiries
  • Worldwide Offices
  • Hamburger menu
  • PR Newswire: news distribution, targeting and monitoring
  • Send a Release
    • ALL CONTACT INFO
    • Contact Us

      888-776-0942
      from 8 AM - 10 PM ET

  • Send a Release
  • Client Login
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Journalists
  • RSS
  • News in Focus
    • Browse All News
    • Multimedia Gallery
    • Trending Topics
  • Business & Money
    • Auto & Transportation
    • Business Technology
    • Entertain­ment & Media
    • Financial Services & Investing
    • General Business
  • Science & Tech
    • Consumer Technology
    • Energy & Natural Resources
    • Environ­ment
    • Heavy Industry & Manufacturing
    • Telecomm­unications
  • Lifestyle & Health
    • Consumer Products & Retail
    • Entertain­ment & Media
    • Health
    • Sports
    • Travel
  • Policy & Public Interest
  • People & Culture
    • People & Culture
  • Send a Release
  • Client Login
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Journalists
  • RSS
  • Explore Our Platform
  • Plan Campaigns
  • Create with AI
  • Distribute Press Releases
  • Amplify Content
  • All Products
  • Send a Release
  • Client Login
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Journalists
  • RSS
  • General Inquiries
  • Editorial Bureaus
  • Partnerships
  • Media Inquiries
  • Worldwide Offices
  • Send a Release
  • Client Login
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Journalists
  • RSS

Health insurance expansion linked to fewer sudden cardiac arrests

Study shows incidence of cardiac arrest dropped significantly among previously uninsured middle-aged adults who acquired health insurance through the Affordable Care Act

OHSU (PRNewsFoto/Oregon Health & Science Universi)

News provided by

Oregon Health & Science University

Jun 28, 2017, 17:20 ET

Share this article

Share toX

Share this article

Share toX

PORTLAND, Ore. and LOS ANGELES, June 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The incidence of sudden cardiac arrest, an often deadly loss of heart function, declined significantly among previously uninsured adults who acquired health insurance through the Affordable Care Act, a new study shows. 

Eric Stecker, M.D., M.P.H. is an associate professor of cardiology at Oregon Health & Science University’s Knight Cardiovascular Institute in Portland, Ore. (Credit: OHSU)
Eric Stecker, M.D., M.P.H. is an associate professor of cardiology at Oregon Health & Science University’s Knight Cardiovascular Institute in Portland, Ore. (Credit: OHSU)
Eric Stecker, M.D., M.P.H. is an associate professor of cardiology at Oregon Health & Science University’s Knight Cardiovascular Institute in Portland, Ore. (Credit: OHSU)
Eric Stecker, M.D., M.P.H. is an associate professor of cardiology at Oregon Health & Science University’s Knight Cardiovascular Institute in Portland, Ore. (Credit: OHSU)
Eric Stecker, M.D., M.P.H. talks with Portland, Ore. resident Diane Volk-Reeves (Credit: OHSU)
Eric Stecker, M.D., M.P.H. talks with Portland, Ore. resident Diane Volk-Reeves (Credit: OHSU)
Eric Stecker, M.D., M.P.H. is an associate professor of cardiology at Oregon Health & Science University’s Knight Cardiovascular Institute in Portland, Ore. (Credit: OHSU)
Eric Stecker, M.D., M.P.H. is an associate professor of cardiology at Oregon Health & Science University’s Knight Cardiovascular Institute in Portland, Ore. (Credit: OHSU)
Eric Stecker, M.D., M.P.H. talks with Portland, Ore. resident Diane Volk-Reeves (Credit: OHSU)
Eric Stecker, M.D., M.P.H. talks with Portland, Ore. resident Diane Volk-Reeves (Credit: OHSU)
“Because so few survive a sudden cardiac arrest, it is imperative that we be able to predict which patients are the most vulnerable,” said Sumeet Chugh, MD,  director of the Heart Rhythm Center at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute in Los Angeles, and senior author of a study out today in the Journal of the American Heart Association. (Credit: Cedars-Sinai)
“Because so few survive a sudden cardiac arrest, it is imperative that we be able to predict which patients are the most vulnerable,” said Sumeet Chugh, MD, director of the Heart Rhythm Center at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute in Los Angeles, and senior author of a study out today in the Journal of the American Heart Association. (Credit: Cedars-Sinai)
Eric Stecker, M.D., M.P.H. is an associate professor of cardiology at Oregon Health & Science University’s Knight Cardiovascular Institute in Portland, Ore. (Credit: OHSU) Eric Stecker, M.D., M.P.H. is an associate professor of cardiology at Oregon Health & Science University’s Knight Cardiovascular Institute in Portland, Ore. (Credit: OHSU) Eric Stecker, M.D., M.P.H. talks with Portland, Ore. resident Diane Volk-Reeves (Credit: OHSU) Eric Stecker, M.D., M.P.H. is an associate professor of cardiology at Oregon Health & Science University’s Knight Cardiovascular Institute in Portland, Ore. (Credit: OHSU) Eric Stecker, M.D., M.P.H. talks with Portland, Ore. resident Diane Volk-Reeves (Credit: OHSU) “Because so few survive a sudden cardiac arrest, it is imperative that we be able to predict which patients are the most vulnerable,” said Sumeet Chugh, MD,  director of the Heart Rhythm Center at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute in Los Angeles, and senior author of a study out today in the Journal of the American Heart Association. (Credit: Cedars-Sinai)

The findings, published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, underscore how health insurance can affect outcomes. Most adults in the study gained insurance through Medicaid expansion, a jointly funded federal-state health insurance program for low-income people that was expanded under the federal law, also known as Obamacare.

Investigators based their analysis on emergency medical services in an urban Oregon county before and after the insurance expansion mandated by the law.

Among previously uninsured adults ages 45 to 64, the incidence of cardiac arrest decreased by 17 percent. The incidence remained the same among adults age 65 and older, a group that had consistently high rates of health insurance coverage before and after the ACA, primarily through Medicare.

"Cardiac arrest is a devastating and under-recognized cause of premature death for both men and women age 45 and older," said Eric Stecker, M.D., M.P.H., associate professor of cardiology at Oregon Health & Science University's Knight Cardiovascular Institute in Portland, Ore., and the study's lead author. "Health insurance allows people to engage in regular medical care, which is crucial for the prevention of cardiovascular disease and the diagnosis and treatment of conditions that can cause cardiac arrest."

More than 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happen yearly in the United States. Although the terms "sudden cardiac arrest" and "heart attack" often are used interchangeably, the conditions are vastly different. A heart attack is caused when one of the major arteries leading to the heart becomes clogged, usually with plaque, disrupting the flow of blood to the heart muscle. A sudden cardiac arrest is an electrical disturbance in the heart rhythm that causes the heart to stop beating. Patients may have little or no warning, and the disorder usually causes instantaneous death. Sudden cardiac arrest has been blamed for the deaths of journalist Tim Russert and filmmaker John Hughes.

"Because so few survive a sudden cardiac arrest, it is imperative that we be able to predict which patients are the most vulnerable," said the study's senior author, Sumeet Chugh, M.D., director of the Heart Rhythm Center at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute in Los Angeles. "Effective primary prevention is the only way to make a significant impact on this problem. Fewer than 10 percent of these patients are going to make it out of the hospital alive. By the time we dial 911, it's much too late for most of them."

The findings published today came out of a larger research enterprise called the Oregon Sudden Unexpected Death Study, a comprehensive, 16-hospital, multi-year assessment of cardiac deaths in the Portland metropolitan area, home to 2.4 million people. The study, led by Chugh, has been underway for more than a decade. Data collected from it provides Chugh and his team with unique, community-based information to mine for answers to what causes sudden cardiac arrest.

Researchers examined records for emergency medical services in Multnomah County, Oregon, to identify patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. They compared this information to U.S. Census Bureau data for the county's adult population in the years before ACA implementation (2011-2012) and after the law took effect (2014-2015).

The investigators caution that although the study shows a strong association between health insurance and lower rates of cardiac arrest, it does not prove cause and effect. If larger studies among more diverse groups of patients confirm these findings, that would potentially have major public health implications, the study's authors said.

"It is crucial to more comprehensively identify the health benefits of insurance and to carefully consider public policies that affect the number of uninsured Americans," Stecker said.

Co-authors are Kyndaron Reinier, PhD, MPH; Carmen Rusinaru, MD, PhD; Audrey Uy-Evanado, MD; Jonathan Jui, MD, MPH; and Sumeet Chugh, MD. Author disclosures are on the manuscript.

This work was supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (Stecker — K12HL108974; Chugh — R01HL122492 and R01HL126938).

About OHSU Knight Cardiovascular Institute

The OHSU Knight Cardiovascular Institute was established through a visionary $125 million philanthropic investment from Nike co-founder and chairman Phil Knight and his wife, Penny. It is the largest gift ever recorded to advance cardiovascular health in the United States. The Knight Cardiovascular Institute is an integrated center of translational research, clinical care, education and disease prevention, which is dedicated to becoming the world's best at translating research into clinical innovations to benefit patients by attacking heart disease from every angle, before conception and throughout a person's lifetime.

About Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute

The Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute is internationally recognized for outstanding heart care built on decades of innovation and leading edge research. From cardiac imaging and advanced diagnostics to surgical repair of complex heart problems to the training of the heart specialists of tomorrow and research that is deepening medical knowledge and practice, the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute is known around the world for excellence and innovations.

Media Toolkit

Download photos on OHSU News  

Related Content

OHSU Knight Cardiovascular Institute 
Biography of Eric Stecker, M.D., M.P.H.
Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute 
Biography of Sumeet Chugh, M.D.

SOURCE Oregon Health & Science University

Related Links

http://www.ohsu.edu/xd

WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM?

icon3
440k+
Newsrooms &
Influencers
icon1
9k+
Digital Media
Outlets
icon2
270k+
Journalists
Opted In
GET STARTED

Modal title

Contact PR Newswire

  • Call PR Newswire at 888-776-0942
    from 8 AM - 9 PM ET
  • Chat with an Expert
  • General Inquiries
  • Editorial Bureaus
  • Partnerships
  • Media Inquiries
  • Worldwide Offices

Products

  • For Marketers
  • For Public Relations
  • For IR & Compliance
  • For Agency
  • All Products

About

  • About PR Newswire
  • About Cision
  • Become a Publishing Partner
  • Become a Channel Partner
  • Careers
  • Accessibility Statement
  • APAC
  • APAC - Simplified Chinese
  • APAC - Traditional Chinese
  • Brazil
  • Canada
  • Czech
  • Denmark
  • Finland
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Indonesia
  • Israel
  • Italy
  • Japan
  • Korea
  • Mexico
  • Middle East
  • Middle East - Arabic
  • Netherlands
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Russia
  • Slovakia
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • United Kingdom
  • Vietnam

My Services

  • All New Releases
  • Platform Login
  • ProfNet
  • Data Privacy

Do not sell or share my personal information:

  • Submit via [email protected] 
  • Call Privacy toll-free: 877-297-8921

Contact PR Newswire

Products

About

My Services
  • All News Releases
  • Platform Login
  • ProfNet
Call PR Newswire at
888-776-0942
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Information Security Policy
  • Site Map
  • RSS
  • Cookies
Copyright © 2025 Cision US Inc.