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Exercise and sudden death

by Dr Norman Swan

How do you know if you're at risk of sudden death from heart disease following exercise? French researchers have established some predictors.

26 05 2005

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If men who take exercise are honest with themselves, the risk of sudden death from heart disease once they're in their 40s does cross their minds from time to time - especially when it happens to someone they know.

A study which followed nearly 6000 French men for 23 years suggests the risk of sudden death can be predicted.

These men had exercise tests early on and the results were analysed for those who died suddenly during the follow up.

Once the researchers removed the effects of risk factors like cholesterol and a family history of sudden death, the predictors of an increased risk of sudden death were having a resting pulse rate of 75 or more; not being able to raise their heart rate more than 89 beats per minute with fairly maximal exercise; and having a slow recovery - which meant the pulse slowing by fewer than 25 beats each minute after the exercise.

The risk increase for sudden death was between two and four times higher. It didn't apply to non-sudden heart deaths.

The culprit could be the nervous system control of heart rate but what might fix this isn't known yet. The best advice is probably that if you've a fast resting pulse, see your GP for a check up.

For Reference

Title: New England Journal of Medicine
Author: Jouven X et al. Heart-rate profile during exercise a predictor of sudden death.
2005; vol 352: pp1951-1958