Triggering of Sudden Death from Cardiac Causes by Vigorous Exertion
Christine M. Albert, M.D., M.P.H., Murray A. Mittleman, M.D., Dr.P.H., Claudia U. Chae, M.D., M.P.H., I.-Min Lee, M.B., B.S., Sc.D., Charles H. Hennekens, M.D., Dr.P.H., and JoAnn E. Manson, M.D., Dr.P.H.
Background Retrospective and cross-sectional data suggest thatvigorous exertion can trigger cardiac arrest or sudden deathand that habitual exercise may diminish this risk. However,the role of physical activity in precipitating or preventingsudden death from cardiac causes has not been assessed prospectivelyin a large number of subjects.
Methods We used a prospective, nested casecrossover designwithin the Physicians' Health Study to compare the risk of suddendeath during and up to 30 minutes after an episode of vigorousexertion with that during periods of lighter exertion or none.We then evaluated whether habitual vigorous exercise modifiedthe risk of sudden death that was associated with vigorous exertion.In addition, the relation of vigorous exercise to the overallrisk of sudden death and nonsudden death from coronary heartdisease was assessed.
Results During 12 years of follow-up, 122 sudden deaths wereconfirmed among the 21,481 male physicians who were initiallyfree of self-reported cardiovascular disease and who providedinformation on their habitual level of exercise at base line.The relative risk of sudden death during and up to 30 minutesafter vigorous exertion was 16.9 (95 percent confidence interval,10.5 to 27.0; P<0.001). However, the absolute risk of suddendeath during any particular episode of vigorous exertion wasextremely low (1 sudden death per 1.51 million episodes of exertion).Habitual vigorous exercise attenuated the relative risk of suddendeath that was associated with an episode of vigorous exertion(P value for trend= 0.006). The base-line level of exercisewas not associated with the overall risk of subsequent suddendeath.
Conclusions These prospective data from a study of U.S. malephysicians suggest that habitual vigorous exercise diminishesthe risk of sudden death during vigorous exertion.
Source Information
From the Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston (C.M.A., C.U.C., I.-M.L., J.E.M.); the Cardiology Division, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston (C.M.A., C.U.C.); the Cardiology Division, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston (M.A.M.); the Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston (I.-M.L., M.A.M., J.E.M.); and the Department of Medicine, Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami (C.H.H.).
Address reprint requests to Dr. Albert at the Division of Preventive Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 900 Commonwealth Ave. E., Boston, MA 02215-1204, or at calbert{at}partners.org.
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