There is little likelihood that a young person in good physical shape suffer a heart attack. However, one can not say the same for the athletes. Four years ago, English football fans watched in horror Bolton Wanderers midfielder Fabrice Muamba, 23, is suddenly collapsed due to a heart attack during a televised match against Tottenham Hotspur in London.
Luckily, the player was quickly treated by medical staff and one of the Tottenham fans: a consultant cardiologist who helped immediately taken to hospital. Muamba's heart was stopped for 78 minutes but still survived, though no longer plays football professionally.
Dr. Paul Chiam, a cardiologist at Mount Elizabeth Hospital and Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital , explains why young people have heart attacks and how they can avoid them .
1) What is the leading cause of death or heart failure in healthy young athletes?
The most common cause is sudden cardiac arrest, often due to ventricular fibrillation, ie, an abnormal and irregular heartbeat. The two main causes irregular heartbeats in the heart in young athletes are:
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a thickening of the heart muscle.
Congenital abnormalities affecting the heart's electrical conduction, ie alter their normal pace.
2) Is there sex differences?
Yes, most sudden cardiac arrest occur in men.
3) Are rare cases?
It is not uncommon, but it is very common. For example, in Singapore 1,000 people each year suffer sudden cardiac arrest and half of them are under 60 years.
4) Athletes who play certain sports, such as contact sports, are at increased risk or problem is simply caused by too much exercise?
There is no evidence that contact sports represent a higher risk. It is likely that the risk depends on the exercise itself.
5) This means that an intense workout can be dangerous? Could it cause a heart attack?
In a patient with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, ie, a thickening of the heart muscle, severe physical exertion can cause cardiac arrest. However, there is no scientific evidence that physical exertion can cause cardiac arrest in people who have a heart disorder base.
6) This problem only affects elite athletes or can also be dangerous for those who spend too much time in the gym?
Anyone can suffer cardiac arrest, especially if there is an abnormality of the heart muscle or an underlying electrical disorder.
7) What advises amateur athletes? They should be monitored frequently?
I recommend you begin training slowly, according to their level of tolerance. Then you can increase the intensity and duration of exercise gradually. I also suggest that before participating in extreme sports events undergo a medical evaluation.
8) There must be a heart checkup before practicing an extreme sport?
It is desirable that people with a family history of heart disease or sudden cardiac arrest, or a history of fainting during exercise, undergo a simple review: a basal resting electrocardiogram (ECG). Some people may also need an ultrasound of the heart, ie, an echocardiogram. Although no doubt about it, it is best to consult the training plan with a doctor.
SportSanity
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