Sudden cardiac arrests related to sports are a small portion of overall cardiac arrests in middle-aged adults, according to Dr. Eloi Marijon and associates.
Of the nearly 1,250 sudden cardiac arrests (SCA) documented in their study, only 63 occurred during or just after a sport activity. Sports-related SCAs occurred most commonly during or just after jogging (27%), followed by basketball (17%) and cycling (14%). The overall incidence of sports-related SCA in adults aged 35-65 years was 21.7 per 1 million per year, less than 5% of the non–sports-related SCA rate of 555 per 1 million people per year. Sport-related SCAs were more likely to be witnessed and have CPR and ventricular fibrillation performed, as well as to have a significantly better survival-to-hospital-discharge rate.
“While existence of a ‘sports paradox’ has been recognized – vigorous activity can also acutely and transiently increase the risk of SCA and acute myocardial infarction, especially in those not habituated to exercise – overall, the long-term benefits outweigh the short-term risks related to physical activity,” the investigators wrote.
Find the full study in Circulation ( doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.114.011988 ).
