heart disease increases with age (Figure 2). However, among patients with coronary heart disease, the proportion of coronary deaths that are sudden decreases with age. Sudden cardiac death has a much higher incidence in men than women, reflecting sex differences in the incidence of coronary heart disease as well. Thus, 75% of sudden cardiac deaths occur in men, with an annual incidence 3 to 4 times higher than in women. The peaks in incidence of sudden cardiac death occur between birth and 6 months of age because of the sudden infant death syndrome, and then again between 45 and 75 years of age as a result of coronary artery disease. Sudden cardiac death accounts for 19% of sudden deaths in children between 1 and 13 years of age and 30% between 14 and 21 years of age. 5