Sports-related sudden cardiac arrest is rare in older adults

Date:
January 30, 2023
Source:
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Summary:
The annual incidence of sports-related sudden cardiac arrest in
older adults is rare: 2 to 3 cases per 100,000 people.


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FULL STORY ==========================================================================
The annual incidence of sports-related sudden cardiac arrest in older
adults is rare: 2 to 3 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,
such as cycling, gym workout, running, or playing golf or tennis. Most
of the cardiac arrests occurred in men (91%).

Investigators also analyzed medical records, which were available for
47 people with sports-related cardiac arrest and 3,162 for people with non-sports-related cardiac arrest. This analysis revealed that people
who experienced sudden cardiac arrest during or shortly after exercise
were more likely to have fewer cardiovascular risk factors and other
health issues than people who did not experience exercise-related sudden cardiac arrest.

People who experienced sports-related cardiac arrest were also more
likely to experience it in a public location, which contributed to
being four times more likely to survive than those who experienced a non-sports-related cardiac arrest.

A sudden cardiac arrest occurs when an electrical malfunction causes a
person's heart to stop beating. This is an extremely dangerous event,
with most people dying within minutes. The good news is that in recent
years, the occurrence of sudden cardiac arrest has decreased among people
of working age. But for older people, the rates of sudden cardiac arrest
have increased.

Exercise is one of the most heart-healthy habits to engage in. In rare
cases, however, it can trigger an irregular heart rhythm that leads to
sudden cardiac arrest.

Investigators analyzed sudden cardiac arrests that have occurred
among people age 65 and older in Portland, Oregon, and Ventura County, California. To do this, they reviewed data collected as 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 data excluded people who experienced sudden cardiac arrest
while hospitalized and people for whom resuscitation was not attempted.

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

The findings reveal that even though sports activity is steadily rising
in older adults, sudden cardiac arrest triggered by sports activity
is uncommon.

Furthermore, people who have sudden cardiac arrest with exercise tend to
have fewer comorbidities and cardiovascular risk factors than people who
have sudden cardiac arrest not triggered by exercise. Taken together,
the benefits of sports activity likely outweigh the risk of associated
sudden cardiac arrest risk, the authors conclude.

"The annual incidence of sports-related sudden cardiac arrest among
older adults is extremely rare," said Sumeet S. Chugh, MD, the Pauline
and Harold Price Chair in Cardiac Electrophysiology Research, director
of the Heart Rhythm Center in the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai,
and senior author of the study. "This means older people who regularly participate in sports should continue. Those who develop new symptoms
should consult their physician. Those who want to start should be
encouraged to do so, but only after consulting their physician and
obtaining an exercise prescription."
* RELATED_TOPICS
o Health_&_Medicine
# Heart_Disease # Elder_Care # Fitness # Infant's_Health #
Healthy_Aging # Staying_Healthy # Today's_Healthcare #
Workplace_Health
* RELATED_TERMS
o Head_injury o Sudden_infant_death_syndrome o Hair
o Heart_failure o Defibrillation o Cardiac_arrest o
Athletic_training o Legionnaires'_disease

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Cedars-Sinai_Medical_Center. Note:
Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Lauri Holmstrom, Harpriya S. Chugh, Audrey Uy-Evanado, Arayik
Sargsyan,
Chad Sorenson, Shiva Salmasi, Faye L. Norby, Sean Hurst, Christopher
Young, Angelo Salvucci, Jonathan Jui, Kyndaron Reinier, Sumeet
S. Chugh.

Sudden Cardiac Arrest During Sports Activity in Older Adults. JACC:
Clinical Electrophysiology, 2023; DOI: 10.1016/j.jacep.2022.10.033 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/01/230130130520.htm

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