Olson KA, et al. - Researchers used a previously developed, population-based, 10-year risk score for sudden cardiac death, (SCD) validated in the Framingham Study, to estimate predicted SCD risk in National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey participants (pooled from cycles in 2005 to 2012), as well as to assess the clinical profile of participants in lower risk (0 to 80th percentile of risk) or high risk (81st to 100th percentile of risk) strata. Findings revealed 10% to 20% of the US adults free of cardiovascular disease had SCD risk. Subjects at an appreciably higher risk of SCD could be detected by this risk score, comprised of readily available clinical variables. In high-risk participants (81st to 100th percentile) and in low-risk participants (0 to 80th percentile), the average predicted 10-year risk of SCD was 3.6% and 0.37%, respectively. Men, blacks, smokers, and diabetics were prone to be at a high-risk, and so were older subjects, those with lower high-density lipoprotein, and those with higher blood pressure, total cholesterol and body mass index.