FINDINGS

The annual incidence of sports-related sudden cardiac arrest in older adults is rare: 2 to three cases per 100,000 people.

Of the 4,078 total sudden cardiac arrest cases studied in people 65 and older, 77 (1.9%) occurred during or following an exercise activity, comparable to cycling, gym workout, running, or playing golf or tennis. A lot of the cardiac arrests occurred in men (91%).

Investigators also analyzed medical records, which were available for 47 individuals with sports-related cardiac arrest and three,162 for individuals with non-sports-related cardiac arrest. This evaluation revealed that individuals who experienced sudden cardiac arrest during or shortly after exercise were more prone to have fewer cardiovascular risk aspects and other health issues than individuals who didn’t experience exercise-related sudden cardiac arrest.

Individuals who experienced sports-related cardiac arrest were also more prone to experience it in a public location, which contributed to being 4 times more prone to survive than those that experienced a non-sports-related cardiac arrest.

BACKGROUND

A sudden cardiac arrest occurs when an electrical malfunction causes an individual’s heart to stop beating. That is an especially dangerous event, with most individuals dying inside minutes. The excellent news is that in recent times, the occurrence of sudden cardiac arrest has decreased amongst people of working age. But for older people, the rates of sudden cardiac arrest have increased.

Exercise is probably the most heart-healthy habits to have interaction in. In rare cases, nevertheless, it might probably trigger an irregular heart rhythm that results in sudden cardiac arrest.

METHODS

Investigators analyzed sudden cardiac arrests which have occurred amongst people age 65 and older in Portland, Oregon, and Ventura County, California. To do that, they reviewed data collected as a part of two prospective studies: The Oregon Sudden Unexpected Death Study, which has been ongoing since 2002, and the Ventura Prediction of Sudden Death in Multi-ethnic Communities study, which has been ongoing since 2015. The info excluded individuals who experienced sudden cardiac arrest while hospitalized and other people for whom resuscitation was not attempted.

Individuals who died from sudden cardiac arrest during sports activity or inside one hour of the activity were categorized as having sports-related sudden cardiac arrest.

IMPACT

The findings reveal that despite the fact that sports activity is steadily rising in older adults, sudden cardiac arrest triggered by sports activity is rare. Moreover, individuals who have sudden cardiac arrest with exercise are likely to have fewer comorbidities and cardiovascular risk aspects than individuals who have sudden cardiac arrest not triggered by exercise. Taken together, the advantages of sports activity likely outweigh the chance of associated sudden cardiac arrest risk, the authors conclude.

“The annual incidence of sports-related sudden cardiac arrest amongst older adults is amazingly rare,” said Sumeet S. Chugh, MD, the Pauline and Harold Price Chair in Cardiac Electrophysiology Research, director of the Heart Rhythm Center within the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai, and senior creator of the study. “This implies older individuals who frequently take part in sports should proceed. Those that develop latest symptoms should seek the advice of their physician. Those that want to begin must be encouraged to achieve this, but only after consulting their physician and obtaining an exercise prescription.”

AUTHORS

Other Cedars-Sinai authors include Lauri Holmstrom, MD, Harpriya S. Chugh, BS, Audrey Uy-Evanado, MD, Arayik Sargsyan, MD, MPH, Chad Sorenson, BS, Shiva Salmasi, MD, Faye L. Norby, PHD, MPH, and Kyndaron Reinier, PHD, MPH.

JOURNAL

The research was published within the peer-reviewed journal JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology.

FUNDING

The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health (R01HL145675); National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (R01HL147358); the Sigrid Jusélius Foundation; the Finnish Cultural Foundation; the Instrumentarium Science Foundation; Orion Research Foundation; and Paavo Nurmi Foundation.

Source:

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center