[The frequency of sudden heart death in coronary heart disease].

229 unoperated male patients with at least 50% obstructive lesions of at least one major coronary artery were followed for 1604 patient years (7 years per patient). 88 deaths were observed during this period. 54 of the 79 cardiac deaths (68%) were sudden. The percentage of sudden cardiac death was 74% for three-vessel disease, 83% for left main lesions, 81% for ejection fraction (EF) over 0.50 and 75% for EF under 0.36. It is concluded that sudden cardiac death is likely to occur just as well with normal EF (but three-vessel or left main disease) as with severely reduced EF.