Michael Jackson died suddenly today. It is known that he hadn’t been feeling well and his personal physican was at his home this morning and tried to resuscitate him. Michael apparently had a sudden cardiac arrest. This simply means that his heart stopped beating. SCA (sudden cardiac arrest) is a common cause of death accounting for more than 325,000 deaths each year in the United States. The most common cause is underlying coronary heart disease, which often goes undiagnosed. Other causes can be underlying structural heart disease, drug overdoses, airway obstruction, drowning and pulmonary emboli. These medical conditions commonly cause an irregular heart beat called ventricular fibulation where blood is not pumped effectively. This causes a rapid loss of conscienceness. This rhythm can be reversed with a defibulator which delivers an electrical current to the heart. However, it must be done quickly, basic cpr is not typically effective. Stress, and drugs such as alcohol, amphetamines or cocaine can also contribute to the problem. A definitive answer is not likely until toxicology and autopsy reports are released.