You don’t have to be unfit to have a heart attack.
JAKARTA — When cycling, you could have a heart attack. But is it true that exercise can increase the risk of a heart attack?
“Any stressful event on your body can increase your heart rate, increase the pressure in the arteries, and cause the plaque there to open up and have a clot form on it. That’s what happens in a heart attack,” said cardiologist at UNC Health in North Carolina and co-author of Am I Dying?!: A Complete Guide to Your Symptoms and What to Do Next, Christopher Kelly.
That is, any type of event that is physically or emotionally stressful. “We even saw an increase heart attack in the host country during the World Cup,” he said.
But it’s quite rare to have a heart attack after a workout, especially if you’re healthy. One study estimated the probability of one death per 792,000 people per hour of exercise. Another study put it at one exercise-related heart attack per 18,000 men.
You are more likely to have a heart attack if you don’t exercise. The more activity you do, the less likely you are to have a heart attack.
In one review, according to a paper published in Circulation, people who did the most physical activity lowered their risk of cardiovascular death by 30 to 50 percent compared to people who did the least.
That risk is higher if you already have heart disease, rising to one event per 58,000 patient hours. But the authors of the paper providing that perspective point out it’s still a very low risk.
If you’ve been sedentary, go easy on yourself. “It makes your heart work harder than usual,” Kelly says.
Sometimes, Kelly recommends adults over 50 years of age with an increase heart disease risk those who do not exercise should consult their doctor first before starting an exercise program. They may do a stress test and evaluate your other risk factors.
“But no doctor will ever tell you not to exercise. They might make it easy for you to do it,” he said.
If you have symptoms of a heart attack while exercising or after, don’t assume it’s just because you’re not fit. First of all, you don’t have to be unfit to have a heart attack. Second, these symptoms are telling you something.
To watch for, pain or discomfort in the chest, in one or both arms and back, neck, jaw, or stomach; hard to breathe; You may also break out in a cold sweat and experience nausea or dizziness.
Source: Republic
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