Sudden Death Heart
Attacks Rare in Women While Exercising - Men are 19 Times more Likely to
Die - But Moderate Exertion Will Lower Long Term Risk
March 21st
2006
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Dr. Albert |
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There were three heart attacks and two deaths associated with the heart
attacks at the Los Angeles Marathon the other day. Experts want to
remind people that sudden cardiac death during exertion is extremely
rare in women. All three heart attacks at the marathon involved men and
this was the first time there was more than one heart attack during the
LA Marathon.
Typically regular exercise may significantly lower the long-term risk,
according to a study in the March 22/29 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on
women's health. Always check with your doctor before you begin an
exercise regimen.
Sudden death heart attacks are more likely to strike men than women.
Christine Albert, M.D., told NBC reporters in an interview that "In
comparison to a prior study that we did among male physicians, the risk
of sudden cardiac death during vigorous exertion was approximately 19
times higher in men than in women."
The studies author was Christine Albert, a doctor at the Brigham and
Women's Hospital, Cardiovascular Division, Center for Arrhythmia
Prevention. The research data was extrapolated from the Nurses’ Health
Study, which began in 1976 when 121,701 nurses aged 30 to 55 complete
questionnaires about their coronary heart disease (CHD), risk factors,
lifestyle and medical history. There were follow ups every two years
for up to 28 years. Of the total, 84,888 women provided information on
their amount of moderate to vigorous exercise per week in 1980, 1992,
1996, 1998 and 2000.
According to the study there were 288 cases of sudden cardiac death
among the 84,888 women who completed the 1980 questionnaire. Although
there were nine deaths associated with moderate to vigorous exertion
(death may have occured soon after), only three of the deaths occurred
while exercising. The researchers said “Of 69,693 women without a
history of CHD, stroke or cancer at the study's beginning, 32 percent
(22,172) reported no regular moderate to vigorous exercise and 15
percent (10,680) reported exercising for four or more hours per week.”
The risk of sudden cardiac death associated with moderate to vigorous
exertion was "exceedingly low." The rate was 1 per 36.5 million hours
of exertion. Here the risk was “temporarily elevated during moderate to
vigorous exertion, compared with the risk during lesser or no exertion.”
Exercise may have actually lowered the temporary risk. The researchers
said “Regular moderate to vigorous activity lessened this temporary
risk, and was also associated with a lower long-term risk of sudden
cardiac death.”
The bottom line is that avoiding exercise to avoid cardiac arrest is not
well founded. The authors of the study wrote "Although our data are
consistent with prior analyses in men that suggest that physical
exertion may trigger sudden cardiac death and that habitual exercise
diminished this risk, the magnitude of the risk is much lower in this
cohort of women compared with a similar cohort of men."
By Dan Wilson
Best Syndication
Books on Heart Disease
Keywords and misspellings:
coranary
micro-vascular disfunction
iscemic iskemic
ishcemic ishcemia angiograf blood presure
stroke embolism imbolism embilism embelism bloode clot |
