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High sex hormones in blood may indicate a person's risk for sudden cardiac arrests, a new study out of Oregon has found.

Researchers measured sex hormone levels in 149 patients who suffered cardiac arrest and compared them to levels measured in equal number of people suffering from coronary heart disease. They found significantly higher levels of estradiol and lower levels of testosterone in the first group, leading them to assess risk.

According to Business Standard, men in the cardiac arrest group had 4.4 nanogrammes of testosterone and 68 picogrammes of estradiol per milliliter while the other group's findings showed they had 5.4 nanogrammes of testosterone and 52 picogrammes of estradiol.

Medical Xpress reported findings for women in the cardiac arrest group. It said the group's samples showed 54 picogrammes of estradiol compared to 36 picogrammes per milliliter in the women with coronary artery disease.

"Because sudden cardiac arrest is usually fatal, we are constantly looking for ways to predict which patients are susceptible so we can concentrate on prevention. If we wait until someone has a sudden cardiac arrest, it is usually too late for treatment," Sumeet Chugh, MD, director of the Heart Rhythm Center in the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute reportedly said. The findings are part of Oregon Sudden Unexpected Death Study that seeks to assess cardiac deaths in Oregon.

Cardiac arrest is a condition with 95 % fatality rate if patients do not receive assistance within the first five minutes. It is a condition where heart fails to contract due to cessation of electrical activity. Advancement in emergency medicine has not improved the five percent survival rate.

"This is the first time it has been reported that there is an association between sex hormone levels and sudden cardiac arrest," Chugh said, according to Hindustan Times. In people with high risk of cardiac arrest, an electrical stimulation device, similar to a defibrillator, is implanted.