At this time, there is much commotion caused by the news of the death of the Uruguayan doctor Gonzalo Leal, 55 years old, who died while trying to swim across the Río de la Plata, 1,500 meters before reaching the coast.
According to him, he had carried out the corresponding previous studies, which enabled him to face the challenge.
These data may generate uncertainty, because Leal reportedly died of cardiac arrest.
As a result of this case,
a question arises
: Can excessive effort cause cardiac arrest?
Clarín referred this query to two renowned cardiologists, who responded without referring to the case of the Uruguayan doctor in particular.
How risky is extreme sport?
“If a person, whether athlete or not, wants to undertake a physical activity that we could consider extreme, they should know that there
may always be a risk
for their body,” warns Mario Boskis, a cardiologist who is a member of the Argentine Society of Cardiology (SAC). .
"According to current studies, we know that there is what is called a
sports paradox
: when an individual performs very strenuous exercises, there would be, at that moment, an increased risk in the incidence of sudden death," he adds.
Checkups include a thorough clinical examination and a good medical history.
Photo Shutterstock.
According to Boskis, this can occur in people who do not exercise on a daily basis: “Strenuous physical activity can be a trigger for acute myocardial infarction due to overwork of the heart, but this is particularly seen in
people who are sedentary
, which is why it is It is very important to do physical activity regularly, this significantly reduces the risk of sudden death,” he says.
Undiagnosed diseases
Also, as cardiologist former president of the SAC Ricardo Iglesias points out to Clarín, it can occur in cases of
undiagnosed cardiovascular diseases
: “Extreme effort can generate cardiac arrest, but there must be an underlying cardiovascular disease, which there is not was diagnosed.”
“Great effort, for example, in patients over 50, can
break a
coronary plaque, which is small, and cause thrombosis,” he adds.
Regarding the consequences of strenuous effort, he adds: “Great effort can also produce a
hypertensive crisis
and rupture of the aorta, which is a mother artery, and this is called aortic dissection.
In younger people, the effort can produce an exaggerated discharge of catecholamines and if there is a genetic, electrical disease, it can generate ventricular fibrillation and, subsequently, cardiac arrest."
Strenuous physical activity can be a trigger for acute myocardial infarction due to overwork of the heart, particularly in sedentary people.
Photo Shutterstock.
Along the same lines, Boskis points out that the existence of
hidden coronary heart disease
is one of the most frequent causes of sudden death.
“A coronary artery that becomes obstructed can cause a myocardial infarction, which, triggered by exercise, can in turn generate lethal arrhythmias such as ventricular fibrillation, which is the cause of this sudden death,” he says.
Therefore, he recommends
consulting before
so that the cardiologist can:
Take a
good medical history
: ask about family history of cardiovascular disease, especially if there were episodes of sudden death in young relatives,
A good
clinical examination
, which includes a control electrocardiogram: “I ask my patients who want to exercise vigorously to do a stress test, either an ergometry or an echo-stress test, where I can not only see what happens to the pressure during exercise. , what cardiovascular functional capacity you have, whether or not arrhythmias appear during physical activity;
but also detect possible structural alterations in the heart.”
Why heart disease can remain hidden
Iglesias reiterates that a great effort can generate an arrest “in the basic conditions of a
sick heart
.”
Now, why could a person who
undergoes checkups
have an undetected disease?
“Sometimes, it is
difficult to diagnose
the underlying disease, because the electrical genetic part that causes arrhythmias is often not discovered with an electrocardiogram, with a
holter
or with an ergometry.
And the same thing happens with coronary heart diseases: an exercise test does not detect them, because the plaques are small, but the great effort makes them break and clog, and directly cause a heart attack, which can generate an arrhythmia and, in turn, a sudden death,” says the professional.
Along the same lines, Boskis states: “Although it is not common for a person to have undergone cardiovascular studies and have failed to detect subclinical coronary disease, no test has a 100% diagnostic sensitivity, there
can always be false positives
or false “negatives that do not detect the painting”
Cardiac arrest: what is it
According to the Medline Plus site (from the United States National Library of Medicine), “cardiac arrest occurs when the
heart suddenly stops beating
.
When this happens, the blood supply to the brain and the rest of the body also stops,” they explain on their website.
In addition, they indicate that cardiac arrest is a medical emergency, and that if not treated within a few minutes, "it generally
causes death
."
When analyzing what can cause it, they indicate that it occurs due to a problem with the electrical system of the heart, which can occur in two cases:
1-
Ventricular fibrillation
(VF): When the lower chambers of the heart tremble instead of beating regularly.
The heart cannot pump blood, causing cardiac arrest.
This can happen without a cause or as a result of another condition.
2-
Heart block
: This happens when an electrical signal is delayed or stopped moving through the heart.
What can cause cardiac arrest
Now, among the causes highlighted by the website, one of them is
extreme physical exertion
.
Thus, the site states that problems that can lead to cardiac arrest include:
Coronary heart disease
, as it can clog the arteries of the heart, so that blood cannot flow continuously.
“Over time, this can overload the myocardium and the electrical system of the heart,” they point out.
Heart attack
, as this can create scar tissue that can lead to VF and cardiac arrest.
Heart problems
, such as congenital heart disease, heart valve problems, heart rhythm problems, and an enlarged heart can also lead to cardiac arrest.
Abnormal levels of potassium or magnesium:
These minerals help the heart's electrical system function, but abnormally high or low levels can cause cardiac arrest.
Extreme physical exertion
: Anything that causes extreme exertion on the body can lead to cardiac arrest.
This may include trauma, electrical shock, or significant blood loss.
Recreational drugs
: Using certain drugs, such as cocaine or amphetamines, also increases your risk for cardiac arrest.
Medications:
Some can increase the chance of abnormal heart rhythms.
***
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