The mystery of sudden deaths

The mystery of sudden deaths

By Eng Chee Koon - Jan 17, 2007

AsiaOne

First, the good news. Doctors say the 10 cases of sudden deaths reported in the last four months are not abnormally high. So, there is no need to be unduly alarmed.

And the bad news? Researchers are no closer to unravelling the mystery of sudden deaths.

While the frequency of the recent sudden deaths has been a worrying trend, experts say this is just a coincidence and it does not signal a looming epidemic.

Professor Edmund Lee from the National University of Singapore's (NUS) Department of Pharmacology told AsiaOne: "There is no epidemic. And it is important to have a perspective of this matter."

In the last fortnight, there were three such deaths - that of NUS don Ananda Rajah who died on Jan 9, 30-year-old Singaporean William Loo last Sunday, and a 29-year-old Malay deliveryman who was found dead in bed on Monday morning.

According to Prof Lee, the number of sudden deaths reported by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) every year averages about 300 cases. This figure includes both men and women aged between 18 and 60 years old.

Still, it is disturbing to read of otherwise healthy individuals who simply die with no apparent cause. Statistically, this is within expected norms. To many members of the public though, it is scary to know that death can strike one suddenly, like playing a game of Russian roulette.

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