Benefit of Physical Activity Outweighs Risk Among Middle-Aged Adults

The risk of sudden cardiac arrest during sports-related activities among physically active middle-aged adults is relatively low, according to a new study.

Researchers conducted a review of 1,247 cases of sudden cardiac arrest—abrupt loss of heart function—from the Oregon Sudden Unexpected Death Study. Among men and women ages 35 to 65, just 5% of sudden cardiac arrest cases were primarily associated with athletic activities, such as jogging, basketball, and cycling.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

RELATED CONTENT
Heat Stroke Should Be A Top Concern in Endurance Sports
Preventing Childhood Concussions in Contact Sports
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Compared to overall cases of sudden cardiac arrest, sports-associated cases were more likely to be:

• Witnessed—87% vs. 53%

• Involve CPR—44% vs. 25%

• Involve ventricular fibrillation—85% vs. 51%

“Our study findings reinforce the idea of the high-benefit, low-risk nature of exercise in middle age and emphasize the importance of education to maximize safety, particularly as the population ages and more Baby Boomers increasingly take part in sports activities to prolong their lives,” senior study author Sumeet Chugh, MD, said in a press release.    

Chugh and his colleagues identified parameters that could help health care providers to offer patients more targeted information about how they can prevent such an event as well as how to prepare to increase the risk of survival should they experience sudden cardiac arrest.

The researchers found that two-thirds of patients who experienced sudden cardiac arrest had previously documented cardiovascular disease or symptoms. Their findings also suggest that men have a higher incidence of sports-associated sudden cardiac arrest than women, compared with broader non-sports cases.

They also found that more than half of the cases (58%) occurred in sports facilities while almost half (42%) occurred outside of sports facilities.

“Especially in light of current population aging trends, our findings emphasize that targeted education could maximize both safety and acceptance of sports activity in the older athlete,” the authors wrote.

—Colleen Mullarkey

Reference

Marijon E, Uy-Evanado A, Reinier K, Teodorescu C, Narayanan K, Jouven X, et al. Sudden cardiac arrest during sports activity in middle age. Circulation. 6 April 2015. [Epub ahead of print]. DOI: 10.1161.