Original scientific paper
Physical Activity and Sudden Cardiac Death in Elders – A Croatian Study
Zijad Duraković
Marjeta Mišigoj Duraković
Josip Škavić
Marija Definis Gojanović
Abstract
The paper deals with the sudden cardiac death in elders due to physical activity in Croatia and to compare it to other
population groups who practice physical activity. The data are a part of a retrospective study dealing with 59 sudden
death due to physical activity in men in Croatia: from January 1, 1988 to December 31, 2008. Fifteen aged 65 to 82 years
were recreationally engaged in physical activity: six in swimming, four in tennis, one in driving a bicycle, one in jogging,
two in bowling and one died during sexual act. Only one had symptoms of pectoral angina, two suffered from arterial hypertension,
and two had congestive heart failure. Eleven were without symptoms before exercise. At forensic autopsy,
fourteen had coronary heart disease, seven had critical coronary artery stenosis, three had occluded left descendens anterior
coronary artery and four critical coronary stenosis, four had a recent myocardial infarctions, and eleven had myocardial
scars due to previous myocardial infarctions. Twelve of them had left ventricular hypertrophy: 15–25 mm. In
Croatia, about 7 per cent of the entire male population undertake recreational physical activity, while 13 per cent of them
are elders. A sudden cardiac death due to recreational physical activity in elders reached 1.71/100 000 yearly, in the entire
male population engaged in recreational physical exercise: 0.75/100 000 (p=0.05730), in the total male population aged
15–40 engaged in sports and recreational physical exercise: 0.57/100.0000 (p=0.00387), in young athletes: 0.15/100 000
(p=0.00000). Medical examination of all elderly persons has to be done before starting of recreational physical activity:
by clinical examination, searching for risk factors for atherosclerosis, performing ECG at rest, stress ECG, and echocardiography
and to repeat the medical examination at least once a year. Physical activity should start with a warm-up period
and with a gradually increasing load, and usually not to exceed 6-7 metabolic equivalents (METs).
Keywords
elders; physical activity; sudden cardiac death
Hrčak ID:
64751
URI
Publication date:
7.3.2011.
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