Happy New Year! World celebrates 2016

Happy New Year! World celebrates 2016

Fireworks explode over the Opera House and Harbour Bridge during New Year's Eve fireworks display in Sydney, Australian, Friday, Jan. 1, 2016.

 

As 2015 came to an end, cities around the world were celebrating the start of a new year and bidding goodbye to one marred by terrorist attacks that left people on edge. Despite the rattled nerves, most places were pressing on with their holiday revels.

In Dubai, a massive fireworks display kicked off New Year's at the world's tallest building, while a raging fire sent smoke billowing into the air from nearby tower.

In France, Parisians still recovering from deadly attacks in November held scaled-down celebrations.

And in Brussels, Belgium's capital, a holiday terror plot led to the cancellation of festivities altogether.

Tokyo was on a special security alert during Japan's biggest holiday, as millions crammed into trains to leave cities for their hometowns.

Guinea declared free of Ebola, step to end spread of disease

Guinea declared free of Ebola, step to end spread of disease

Mohamed Belhocine, center, a representative from the World Health Organization speaks, during a press briefing in city of Conakry, Guinea, Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2015. Guinea has been declared free from transmission of Ebola, the World Health Organization said Tuesday, marking a milestone for the West African country where the original Ebola chain of transmission began two years ago leading to the largest epidemic in history.

  

CONAKRY, Guinea (AP) -- The World Health Organization declared the Ebola outbreak over in Guinea Tuesday, a huge step in the fight against the world's largest epidemic and the first time there are no known cases anywhere since the virus emerged in Guinea two years ago.

The West Africa-concentrated outbreak last year spread to neighboring Liberia and Sierra Leone. Liberia is on a countdown to become Ebola-free on Jan. 14, which could mark a final end to the epidemic. Sierra Leone, the third West African country to be hammered by the epidemic, was declared free from transmissions on Nov. 7. No new cases have been reported anywhere in the world in at least 21 days, according to WHO.

"This is the first time that all three countries - Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone - have stopped the original chains of transmission that were responsible for starting this devastating outbreak two years ago," said Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa.

But experts warn that cases may still emerge. So far, the virus has killed more than 11,300 people worldwide.

"We definitely cannot let our guard down," said Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "It's certainly possible we will have more cases and more clusters in the coming months."

On Tuesday, about 50 Ebola survivors, journalists, and family members of those who lost loved ones gathered at WHO's Ebola headquarters in Conakry, where the mood was of celebration, mixed with sadness.

"Guinea is a blessed country. We hope that all the dead, and the victims of this disease will be sacrifices to the Guinean nation so that no other epidemic touches us," said survivor Ibrahima Sow.

Mariam Camara, with tears in her eyes, said the country lost some of its best to Ebola, including her mother and brother, among the more than 2,500 people who died in Guinea.

"That cursed disease separated me from that which is most beautiful to me in my life," she said. "But it's over. We are turning a page on Ebola, definitively."

This West African nation will hold a big celebration Wednesday, overseen by President Alpha Conde and including testimonies by Ebola survivors. Later, popular West African artists such as Youssou N'Dour and 

Tiken Jah Fakoly are to perform at a concert in the capital.

Dr. Mohamed Belhocine, WHO's representative in Guinea, said Tuesday the nation will now enter a 90-day period of heightened surveillance.

WHO declares that Ebola disease transmission has ended when the country goes through two incubation periods - 21 days each - without a new case emerging.

Guinea had the fewest Ebola cases of the three countries, but its bigger size, extensive remote areas and a stigma and distrust of health workers allowed the outbreak to persist longer here.

Frieden also warned that if it persists or re-emerges in animals, a transmission to humans is still possible.

"That's why it's so important these countries be ready for additional cases," he said.

He said the CDC is working on a set of protection measures, including laboratories that can test for Ebola and other dangerous microbes. Trained investigators within the three West African countries will help stop and prevent threats, rapid tests are available and emergency operation centers are in place to oversee a robust response.

"The world needs to be ready to surge in more rapidly when a country's abilities are overwhelmed," he said.

The outbreak claimed the first lives in December 2013 but only made headlines in March 2014 in Guinea, before quickly spreading to Liberia and Sierra Leone. By early June 2014, even though the Ebola epidemic was the deadliest ever recorded, the WHO resisted sounding the international alarm until August, a delay that some argue may have cost lives.

White officer won't face charges in death of black Ohio boy

White officer won't face charges in death of black Ohio boy
 

FILE - In this Feb. 5, 2013 file photo, Cuyahoga County prosecutor Tim McGinty answers questions during a news conference in Richfield, Ohio. McGinty said Monday, Dec. 28, 2015, that a grand jury declined to indict Timothy Loehmann, a white rookie police officer, in the killing of 12-year-old Tamir Rice, a black youngster who was shot while playing with what turned out to be a pellet gun.

CLEVELAND (AP) -- A grand jury on Monday declined to indict a white rookie police officer in the killing of Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old black boy who was shot while playing with what turned out to be a pellet gun.

In explaining the decision, Cuyahoga County prosecutor Tim McGinty said it was "indisputable" that the boy was drawing the pistol from his waistband when he was gunned down. McGinty said Tamir was trying to either hand the weapon over to police or show them it wasn't real, but the officer and his partner had no way of knowing that.

"Simply put, given this perfect storm of human error, mistakes and miscommunications by all involved that day, the evidence did not indicate criminal conduct by police," McGinty said.

He said patrolman Timothy Loehmann was justified in opening fire: "He had reason to fear for his life."

Tamir's family condemned the decision but echoed the prosecutor in urging those who are disappointed to express themselves "peacefully and democratically." Barricades were set up outside the county courthouse in Cleveland in case of protests, and about two dozen people gathered in the cold rain at the recreation center where Tamir was shot, some holding signs with photos of the boy and others killed by police in the U.S.

A grainy surveillance camera video of the November 2014 shooting provoked outrage nationally, and together with other killings of black people by police in places such as Ferguson, Missouri, and New York City, it helped fuel the Black Lives Matter movement.

There was no immediate comment from Loehmann after the decision. An attorney for Loehmann's partner, patrolman Frank Garmback, called the shooting a "tragic incident" but said it's clear the officers "acted within the bounds of the law." The grand jury also declined to indict Garmback.

Tamir was shot by Loehmann within two seconds of the officers' police cruiser skidding to a stop near the boy. Loehmann and Garmback were responding to a 911 call about a "guy" pulling a gun out of his pants and pointing it at people. Tamir was carrying a borrowed airsoft gun that looks like an actual firearm but shoots nonlethal plastic pellets. It was missing the orange tip that is supposed to show that it's not a real weapon.

The grand jury had been hearing evidence and testimony since mid-October.

In detailing the decision not to bring charges, McGinty said police radio personnel contributed to the tragedy by failing to pass along the "all-important fact" that the 911 caller said the gunman was probably a juvenile and the gun probably wasn't real.

Assistant prosecutor Matthew Meyer said it was "extremely difficult" to tell the difference between the pellet gun and the firearm its modeled after. And he said Tamir was big for his age - 5-foot-7 and 175 pounds - and appeared much older than 12.

McGinty also noted that the neighborhood has a history of violence and that a short distance away are memorials to two Cleveland police officers fatally shot in the line of duty. McGinty said the city has taken steps to prevent this kind of shooting from happening again.

The Cleveland police department plans to put dashboard cameras in every patrol car. Officers who work the streets have been equipped with bodycams since September. The city also reached a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice this year to institute numerous reforms, including an overhaul of the police department's use-of-force policies. The settlement was prompted in part by a November 2012 high-speed car chase that ended with the killing of a couple in a 137-shot barrage of police gunfire.

In a statement, Tamir's family said it was "saddened and disappointed by this outcome - but not surprised." It accused the prosecutor of "abusing and manipulating the grand jury process to orchestrate a vote against indictment."

Among other things, the family charged that McGinty improperly hired use-of-force experts to tell the grand jury that Loehmann's actions were reasonable.

The family renewed its request for the Department of Justice to step in and conduct "a real investigation." Federal prosecutors in Cleveland noted Monday that a civil rights investigation into the shooting is already underway.

Also, Mayor Frank Jackson said the city and the police department will conduct an internal review that could result in disciplinary action against the two officers, who were removed from street duty and have been on restricted duty since the shooting.

Tamir's family has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the two officers and the city.

McGinty said it was a "tough conversation" with Tamir's mother when she was told there would be no charges.

"She was broken up, and it was very hard," the prosecutor said.

Loehmann opened fire from a distance estimated at 4 1/2 to 7 feet, getting off two shots, one of which missed.

"With his hands pulling the gun out and his elbow coming up, I knew it was a gun and it was coming out," Loehmann said in a statement he read to the grand jury. "I saw the weapon in his hands coming out of his waistband, and the threat to my partner and myself was real and active."

After the boy's killing, it was learned that Loehmann had washed out from the police force in suburban Independence. Loehmann had a "dismal" handgun performance, broke down in tears at the gun range and was emotionally immature, according to documents. He quit that department before he could be fired.

Steve Loomis, the head of Cleveland's largest police union, said the organization was pleased with the grand jury's finding but added the decision "is no cause for celebration, and there will be none."

McGinty urged those who disagree with the grand jury decision to react peacefully and said: "It is time for the community and all of us to start to heal."

Outside the recreation center, protesters chanted, "No justice, no peace!" Art Blakey, of Cleveland, held a sign that read, "Indict, Convict, Send Killer Cops to Jail!" He said he wasn't surprised by the grand jury decision.

"There never has been any justice in these police murders," he said. "We're supposed to swallow these things whole as if this is business as usual."

Top Music Studios For Kids And Adults In Philly: Gilbert F. Lomax Jr. Online Interview by Van Stone, Editor/Publish Philadelphia Front Page News frontpagenews1@yahoo.com

Top Music Studios For Kids And Adults In Philly: Gilbert F. Lomax Jr. Online Interview by Van Stone, Editor/Publisher Philadelphia Front Page News frontpagenews1@yahoo.com

Gilbert F. Lomax Jr., Music Master Professional, Professional Deejay and Male Model.

As promised we caught up with Gilbert F. Lomax Jr. and his partner Doris J. Hall-James for a follow-up interview. Both Lomax Jr. and Hall-James are music professionals. In this interview the Philadelphia Front Page News-Magazine reflects Lomax Jr.’s growth as a person, writer, producer, and male model.

Talented guy Gil Lomax Jr. can rightfully claim the title of Philly’s music's lead music producer and deejay.  Lomax Jr. had no trouble winning the hearts of many fans with his co-release “Knocks Me Off My Feet,” catapulting him to become West Philadelphia’s top-go to music master professional artist. Here’s our interview of Lomax Jr.  He is known for well-produced beats and arrangements in music industry.

Philadelphia Front Page News Newspaper: So, tell everyone the address of the music studio location.

Gilbert F. Lomax Jr.: The Simply Music Studio is located at 251 South 60^th Street Philadelphia, PA 19139.

PFPN: Since you and Doris J. Hall-James are master music professionals, just what type of Deejay are you? And what’s the name of the group for your entertainment company?

Gil Lomax Jr.: I am a mobile Deejay in the community.  The name of my entertainment company is called Simply Old School in which we play old school music. My annual events include the Creek picnic, the Creek cabaret and the Bikers Annual old timers’ young timers reunion keeping the memory of Vicky Gadson and Spider alive. Hosted by Rickey Gadson.

PFPN: Who are included in the events? And how long have you been Deejaying?

Lomax Jr.: All events include young and older adults. I have been a DJ for five years doing block parties, church events in Philadelphia, surrounding areas and South Jersey.

PFPN: About how long have you participated in music engineering activity in a studio?  And which catalog of studio music is your specialty?

Gil: I have been engineering, writing, and producing, music for five years and have multiple songs in my music catalog.  My catalogs consist of R&B, Jazz, Gospel, Pop, Blues and Funk. I am a member of Broadcast Music Association (BMI) and own publishing company Glomax Music. And by the way, I own my own studio.  I am the President of the GreenRoom Audio Sound Studio (GRASS).  

PFPN: When did you notice something was lacking in the urban section of the city and what did you plan to do about it?  Did you organize anything specifically for youth, adults, or seniors and if so, what was the result?

Gil: For years I have noticed that in the 60^th street area – 60^th street corridor there were no services provided for inspiring and aspiring musicians young or old.  No visible recording studios in the West Philadelphia Area along 60^th street corridor.  Being a musician myself I recognized the need for music services to support local talent.

PFPN: What else do you want the readers to know about the Simply Music Studio, its mission and future?

Lomax Jr.: Although Simply Music is a non-profit organization the overhead cost for the operation of the business is met by donations and contributions and minimal fees to the customers. 

 

The site at 60^th street is still new but the demand for music service is so great that I can foresee in the near future students pursing continued education careers in the music industry…possibly with stronger support by our Simply Music Studio.  

IS leader says 'caliphate' well, mocks Saudi-led alliance

IS leader says 'caliphate' well, mocks Saudi-led alliance

BEIRUT (AP) -- The Islamic State group on Saturday released a new message purportedly from its reclusive leader, claiming that his self-styled "caliphate" is doing well despite an unprecedented alliance against it and criticizing the recently announced Saudi-led Islamic military coalition against terrorism.

In the 24-minute audio, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi said airstrikes by the international coalition only increase his group's determination and resolve. The message was al-Baghdadi's first since May, and comes amid battlefield setbacks that IS has recently faced.

Meanwhile, a U.S.-backed coalition of rebels in Syria - including Syrian Kurdish, Arab and Christian groups - captured a major dam on the Euphrates River from the Islamic State group as part of the coalition's march on IS-held areas in northern Syria.

The coalition, known as Syria Democratic Forces, announced earlier this week a new offensive aimed at cutting supply lines between IS strongholds in the country's north. The SDF said it seized the Tishrin Dam, which supplies much off northern Syria with electricity, on Saturday.

An SDF spokesman told AP earlier this week that his forces are also trying to cut the supply lines between the Islamic State's de-facto capital of Raqqa and the group's stronghold of Manbij in northern Syria.

The SDF, dominated by the main Kurdish militia in Syria known as YPG, or People's Protection Units, has become a main force in fighting IS.

The Islamic State group has come under pressure in Syria and Iraq, where it has declared its self-styled Islamic caliphate on territory that the militant group controls. It lost the town Sinjar in Iraq last month, and areas across the border in Syria at the same time. Iraqi government troops are also advancing in the Islamic State-held city of Ramadi, the provincial capital of the sprawling Anbar province, Iraq's Sunni heartland.

Airstrikes by the U.S.-led coalition and Russia in Syria have also destroyed Syrian oil facilities and killed several IS leaders in recent weeks.

"It is unprecedented in the history of our Ummah (Islamic nation) that all the world came against it in one battle, as it is happening today. It is the battle of all the disbelievers against all the Muslims," al-Baghdadi said.

He said the U.S.-led alliance does "not scare us... nor do they scatter our resolve because we are the victors in any event."

Al-Baghdad also taunted the United States for not putting boots on the ground. "They do not dare to come, because their hearts are full of fear from the mujahideen,"or holy warriors, he said.

"America and its allies dream of destroying the caliphate through their proxies and henchmen, and whenever 

an alliance of theirs fails or a tail is cut, they hasten to establish another, until they recently declared the Salouli (Saudi) alliance that was falsely called Islamic," al-Baghdadi added.

If the Saudi-led alliance was truly Islamic, then it would fight the Syrian army and its Russian "masters," as well as Shiites and Jews, al-Baghdadi said.

In mid-December, Saudi Arabia announced the new, 34-member alliance against terrorism, to be based in the kingdom's capital, Riyadh. But Shiite powerhouse Iran is not part of the new coalition; neither are Iraq and Syria, whose forces are battling to regain ground from the Islamic State group and whose governments are allied with Tehran.

In the audio, al-Baghdadi also warned nations taking part in the war against IS by saying: "We promise you, God permitting, that whoever participates in the war against the Islamic State will pay the price dearly."

He threatened Israel by saying, "we haven't forgotten you" and "we are getting closer to you" every day. To Israeli Jews, he said that they "will hide behind trees and stones" from the IS.

He also urged Muslims world over to join the IS fight, saying it is their Islamic duty to rise up everywhere.

The authenticity of the audio could not be independently confirmed but it was posted on IS-affiliated websites and Twitter as past IS messages. Also, it was produced by the al-Furqan Media Foundation, IS media arm.

Pope contrasts Jesus' birth, excess in Christmas Eve homily

Pope contrasts Jesus' birth, excess in Christmas Eve homily
 

Pope Francis kisses a statue of Baby Jesus as he celebrates the Christmas Eve Mass in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Thursday, Dec. 24, 2015.

  

VATICAN CITY (AP) -- In his Christmas Eve homily Thursday, Pope Francis noted the simplicity of Jesus' birth as he rebuked what he called societies' intoxication with consumerism, pleasure, abundance and wealth.

Christians around the world joyfully prepared to recall the birth of Jesus. But in his only public Christmas Mass, in the splendor of St. Peter's Basilica, the pope counter-weighted his joy with a lament for people's excesses and what he described as a "culture of indifference, which not infrequently turns ruthless."

Francis said Jesus "calls us to act soberly, in other words, in a way that is simple, balanced, consistent, capable of seeing and doing what is essential."

Referring to Jesus' birth in a Bethlehem stable, the pope said the child was "born into the poverty of this world; there was no room in the inn for him and his family."

Francis also sounded a cry to right injustices. "In a world which all too often is merciless to the sinner and lenient to the sin, we need to cultivate a strong sense of justice," he said.

Since being elected pope in 2013, Francis has tried to shape the church into one marked more by loving mercy than rigid judgment. He insists that the needs of the poor and others, including refugees and migrants, be paramount.

Youngsters from countries that Francis has visited as pontiff, including Sri Lanka, the Philippines, the United States and most recently, three African nations, left floral bouquets around a baby Jesus statue near the central altar after Francis unveiled and gently kissed the statue.

A child from Mexico, which the pope visits in February, was also among the bouquet bearers.

On Friday, tens of thousands of people are expected to crowd into St. Peter's Square to hear the traditional Christmas day speech, which in the past has been used to denounce wars, other violence and injustice across the globe.

Woman accused of Las Vegas Strip crash had improved her life

Woman accused of Las Vegas Strip crash had improved her life

Police and emergency crews respond to the scene of a car accident along Las Vegas Boulevard, Sunday, Dec. 20, 2015, in Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Not long ago, the woman accused of crashing her car into pedestrians on the Las Vegas Strip seemed to have turned her life around.

After a rough childhood that included a period of homelessness in high school, Lakeisha Nicole Holloway had become an award-winning high school graduate and caring mother.

The recent picture of success deepens the mystery of how the former Oregon woman wound up in a Las Vegas jail, suspected of killing one person and injuring nearly three dozen others.

Holloway, 24, was expected to be charged this week with murder and other counts after she plowed her Oldsmobile sedan down a sidewalk packed with tourists Sunday night while her 3-year-old daughter sat in the backseat, authorities said.

Police said video surveillance footage led them to believe Holloway deliberately swerved onto the sidewalk. They say she was homeless and out of money, sleeping in her car in parking garages. She might have been on her way to Texas to find the father of her daughter; the pair had split up some time ago.

After her arrest Sunday, Holloway "described a stressful period today where she was trying to rest/sleep inside her vehicle with her daughter but kept getting run off by security of the properties she stopped at," a police report said.

"She ended up on the Strip, 'a place she did not want to be,'" the report quoted her as saying. "She would not explain why she drove onto the sidewalk but remembered a body bouncing off her windshield, breaking it."

She parked at a casino a few blocks from the Strip, told a parking attendant that she had run down people and asked the valet to call 911, Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo said. Her daughter wasn't hurt.

Holloway was stoic when police arrived, showed no resistance and spoke coherently about what happened, the sheriff said.

Authorities declined to comment on a potential motive and said they were struggling to piece together her background. Holloway had changed her name in October to Paris Paradise Morton, according to Oregon court records.

Several years ago, Holloway, a graduate of an alternative high school, received an award for overcoming adversity from the nonprofit Portland Opportunities Industrialization Center, which helps at-risk youths with education and job training.

The center did not respond to messages seeking comment, but a statement on its blog said officials were "shocked and deeply saddened." It said Holloway participated in the center's work programs but had not been involved with the nonprofit for at least two years.

In 2012, she told The Skanner, a newspaper that covers Portland's African-American community, that she was homeless during her freshman year in high school.

Court records show she was charged in Oregon in 2011 with operating a vehicle without driving privileges and driving uninsured. She was convicted in March 2012.

Holloway's cousin, Lashay Hardaway, told The Oregonian newspaper that Holloway worked hard to provide for her daughter.

"She's just always thinking about her daughter or the next thing she needs to take care of," Hardaway said, adding that her cousin "makes good money."

The crash happened in front of the Paris and Planet Hollywood casino-hotels and across from the Bellagio's famed water fountains. The Miss Universe pageant was being held at Planet Hollywood at the time.

People jumped on the car and banged on its windows, but Holloway didn't stop driving on the sidewalk, Lombardo said. The car was fully on the walkway twice, including once when it traveled 200 feet, police said.

A drug recognition expert at the scene determined that she was under the influence of some sort of stimulant, Lombardo said.

Holloway was jailed without bail ahead of an initial court appearance Wednesday. Prosecutors plan to charge her with murder with a deadly weapon, hit-and-run and child abuse.

Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said prosecutors were considering "a great number" of additional charges.

Holloway was under suicide watch, which raises questions about her mental state, said Scott Coffee, a deputy Clark County public defender appointed to represent her. Child welfare officials were caring for the woman's daughter, a county spokesman said.

Of at least 35 victims taken to hospitals, three were in critical condition with head injuries, officials said.

The crash killed Jessica Valenzuela, 32, of Buckeye, Arizona, who was visiting Las Vegas with her husband, the Clark County coroner said.

Other victims were from Oregon, Florida, Colorado, California, Washington, Mexico and Quebec. Five Canadian citizens, four Oregon college wrestlers and five Pennsylvania wrestlers and their coach in town for a tournament were among the injured.

Study: Some cardiac arrest victims ignore warning symptoms

Study: Some cardiac arrest victims ignore warning symptoms

File-This Jan. 4, 2008 file photo shows Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Sudden cardiac arrest may not always be so sudden: New research shows a lot of people ignore potentially life-saving warning signs in the days and weeks before they collapse.

 

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Sudden cardiac arrest may not always be so sudden: New research suggests a lot of people may ignore potentially life-saving warning signs hours, days, even a few weeks before they collapse.

Cardiac arrest claims about 350,000 U.S. lives a year. It's not a heart attack, but worse: The heart abruptly stops beating, its electrical activity knocked out of rhythm. CPR can buy critical time, but so few patients survive that it's been hard to tell if the longtime medical belief is correct that it's a strike with little or no advance warning.

An unusual study that has closely tracked sudden cardiac arrest in Portland, Oregon, for over a decade got around that roadblock, using interviews with witnesses, family and friends after patients collapse and tracking down their medical records.

About half of middle-aged patients for whom symptom information could be found had experienced warning signs, mostly chest pain or shortness of breath, in the month before suffering a cardiac arrest, researchers reported Monday. The research offers the possibility of one day preventing some cardiac arrests if doctors could figure out how to find and treat the people most at risk.

"By the time the 911 call is made, it's much too late for at least 90 percent of people," said Dr. Sumeet Chugh of the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute in Los Angeles, who led the study reported in Annals of Internal Medicine. "There's this window of opportunity that we really didn't know existed."

Importantly, a fraction of patients considered their symptoms bad enough to call 911 before they collapsed, and they were most likely to survive.

That's a reminder to the public not to ignore possible signs of heart trouble in hopes they're just indigestion, said University of Pittsburgh emergency medicine specialist Dr. Clifton Callaway, who wasn't involved in Monday's study but praised it.

"Chest pain, shortness of breath - those are things you should come in the middle of the night to the emergency department and get checked out," said Callaway, who chairs the American Heart Association's emergency care committee. "We strongly recommend you don't try to ride it out at home."

Previous heart attacks, coronary heart disease, and certain inherited disorders that affect heartbeat all can increase the risk of sudden cardiac arrest. People known to be at high risk may receive an implanted defibrillator to shock the heart back into rhythm. But cardiac arrest is such a public health problem that the Institute of Medicine last summer urged a national campaign to teach CPR, so more bystanders know how to help.

Monday's data from the Oregon Sudden Unexpected Death Study examined records for nearly 1,100 people ages 35 to 65 who suffered a cardiac arrest between 2002 and 2012.

For about a quarter of patients, researchers could find no information about whether they experienced symptoms - making it impossible to say just how common warning signs really are.

But of the remaining 839 patients, half had evidence of at least one symptom in the previous month, the study found. For most, the symptoms began within 24 hours of their collapse, although some came a week before and a few up to a month. Chest pain was most common in men, while women were more likely to experience shortness of breath. Other symptoms included fainting and heart palpitations.

Chugh had no way to determine symptom severity. But only 19 percent of patients called 911 about symptoms, mostly people with already diagnosed heart disease or who were having recurrent symptoms. Their survival was 32 percent, compared with 6 percent for other patients. Partly that's because a fifth of those 911 callers had their cardiac arrest in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.

Stay tuned: The study is just the start of more research to better predict who is at highest risk for cardiac arrest, and determine how to target them without panicking people who'd do fine with general heart disease treatment, Chugh cautioned.