NBC newsman Tim Russert, 58, died Friday while recording a segment for the Sunday edition of “Meet the Press.” His death shows that medicine can’t always prevent the risk of sudden death. It raised questions on the amount of stress his work put on him and the increased heart attack risk he was exposed to.

Dr. Randall Zusman of the Massachusetts General Hospital Heart Center stated that people like Russert who are “hard driving, hard-working, active businessman” are at risk of things such as heart attacks, stroke, or sudden death, the Boston Herald reported.

Unknown factors combined with stress cause an increased risk of heart attack. Russert’s death seemed all the more shocking for the era in which occurred, as research studies show that the death rate from heart disease in the US has dropped by 50% from 1980 to 2000.

Despite the improvements made in medical treatment and a reduction in risk factors, Russert’s heart attack was unpredictable. He had been diagnosed with coronary artery disease, but he performed well on a stress test in April, MSNBC noted.

Blood pressure, cholesterol, smoking, diabetes, stress, diet, exercise and abdominal obesity are the best indicators for an increased risk of heart attack.

On the other hand, there were voices saying that the stress from his work could have ultimately led to his tragic death.

Russert’s death is a wake-up call to thousands of men who never thought they might be courting a coronary, says Cam Patterson, chief of cardiology at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, according to USA Today. Over a million people in the US have sudden heart attacks every year, often without warnings or symptoms.