New Research On Exercise & Heart Attack — Dave’s Dairy

It is a classic scene from many books and movies…in a moment of amorous embrace with the beautiful femme fatale, the man suffers a heart attack and succumbs on the spot.

Comedic chaos ensues or the dramatic cover up begins.  In fact, we have seen this often enough to have developed some real concerns about “exercise” and cardiac arrest.

Let’s see what science has to say on the subject as reported by the Daily Mail.

Researchers reviewed 1,247 cardiac arrest cases involving people ages 35 to 65. Of all the cases, about five percent were associated with vigorous exercise and sports. They found that in two-thirds of cases, patients had a previously diagnosed heart disease or symptoms before the sudden cardiac arrest.

Additionally, those who suffered cardiac arrest during exertion were more likely (23.2%) to survive than those who experienced the condition (13.6%).

Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute researchers say the study findings reinforce the idea of the high-benefit, low-risk nature of exercise in middle age and emphasises the importance of education to maximize safety, particularly as the population ages..." (Daily Mail)