16 Apr Triggers For Exercise-Related Sudden Cardiac Death Identified
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Tomi Toukola
Medical Research Center Oulu
Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu,
Finland
Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Previously, only few large-scale autopsy studies has been performed of exercise-related sudden cardiac death victims in the general population. FinGesture study project was established in 1998. All consecutive victims of autopsy-verified sudden cardiac death in our study area in northern Finland were included, so microscopic studies and histological examinations were performed alongside forensic autopsies in all cases. In Oulu area there were 328 (mean age, 62 years) cases of exercise-related sudden cardiac death between the years 1998 and early 2007. Male gender, ischemic heart disease and myocardial scarring were findings more commonly associated with exercise-related sudden cardiac death. Another interesting finding was that skiing, cycling and snow shoveling were frequent triggers of sudden cardiac death.
Medical Research: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?
Response: We think that these findings highlight the importance of prevention and early diagnosis of ischemic heart disease. Perhaps counseling patients with diagnosed coronary artery disease or risk factors of ischemic heart disease that high-risk exercise, e.g. snow shoveling, should be performed with caution.
Medical Research: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?
Response: In the future we need to develop ways to effectively find the cases where heavy exercise does more harm than good. We do not know why some people die suddenly and others suffer a heart attack and survive. There is much more progress to be made regarding exercise-related sudden cardiac death in the general population.
Citation:
Sudden cardiac death during physical exercise: Characteristics of victims and autopsy findings
Annals of Medicine 0 0:0 , 1-6
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MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Tomi Toukola (2015). Triggers For Exercise-Related Sudden Cardiac Death Identified
Last Updated on April 16, 2015 by Marie Benz MD FAAD