Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) remains a major cause of mortality, and both hypertension and diabetes mellitus (DM) are recognized cardiovascular risk factors. However, the interaction between blood pressure levels and diabetes status in relation to SCA risk remains incompletely characterized. A population-based analysis published in Diabetes & Metabolism Journal evaluated the association between blood pressure and SCA in individuals with and without diabetes using nationwide screening data from South Korea.

The study analyzed 4,593,706 adults who participated in a national health screening program in 2012. Participants were categorized into non-diabetes mellitus (non-DM), impaired fasting glucose (IFG), and DM groups, comprising 3,097,423, 1,034,563, and 461,720 individuals, respectively. The analysis assessed the relationship between systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and pulse pressure and the risk of SCA.

Both elevated blood pressure and diabetes were associated with increased SCA risk, with the highest absolute risk observed in individuals with both conditions. A significant interaction between blood pressure and diabetes status was identified (P for interaction <0.01), indicating that the relative influence of blood pressure on SCA risk was greater in the non-diabetic population. Among individuals with diabetes, the relationship between systolic blood pressure and SCA showed a J-shaped pattern, in which both high systolic blood pressure and low systolic blood pressure below 100 mm Hg were associated with increased SCA risk.

These findings indicate that SCA risk varies across blood pressure levels and diabetes status, with both elevated and low systolic blood pressure observed alongside increased SCA risk among individuals with DM.