Tweet
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsar...0_US-HEART.xml
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Fatal heart attacks triggered by exercise are rare, especially among women, although it would be safer for both sexes to gradually ramp up their workouts, researchers said on Tuesday.
Of 288 sudden cardiac deaths among nearly 85,000 middle-aged female nurses enrolled in 1980 at the start of the study, only nine deaths occurred while the victims were exerting themselves and just three of those while exercising.
"The risk of sudden cardiac death during an episode of moderate to vigorous exertion in this large group of women was exceedingly low, even lower than we had found previously in a large group of men," study author Christine Albert of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston said.
Sudden death from a heart attack occurred only once per 36.5 million hours women spent exercising, while middle-aged men were 19 times more likely to suffer a fatal attack while exercising based on previous research on male physicians, the report published in this week's issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association said.
While exercise-induced fatal heart attacks are rare in both sexes, they can receive a lot of publicity, the report said.
The study's authors could not explain the gender gap.
Still, anyone who clutches their chests with worry when the topic of exercise arises should think again -- regular workouts are their best bet against heart disease, Albert's study and a second one from Brigham and Women's Hospital concluded.
Only women who exercised less than two hours a week were at any risk of sudden death during a workout, Albert's study found.
For women who exercised at least four hours a week -- for instance, by taking a brisk 30-minute walk daily -- the risk of sudden cardiac death fell 60 percent regardless of body size.
One-third of the women in the study did not engage in moderate or vigorous exercise at all. Only 15 percent exercised for four or more hours per week.
Being overweight carried the highest risk of having inflamed arteries, high cholesterol and other markers for heart disease, although being thin and unfit created similar risks, the second study of 27,000 women concluded.
"This means that women of all weights may significantly improve their cardiovascular risk profile by increasing their level of physical activity, and women who are physically active can additionally lower their risk by achieving and maintaining an optimal weight," lead author Samia Mora said.
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Fatal heart attacks triggered by exercise are rare, especially among women, although it would be safer for both sexes to gradually ramp up their workouts, researchers said on Tuesday.
Of 288 sudden cardiac deaths among nearly 85,000 middle-aged female nurses enrolled in 1980 at the start of the study, only nine deaths occurred while the victims were exerting themselves and just three of those while exercising.
"The risk of sudden cardiac death during an episode of moderate to vigorous exertion in this large group of women was exceedingly low, even lower than we had found previously in a large group of men," study author Christine Albert of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston said.
Sudden death from a heart attack occurred only once per 36.5 million hours women spent exercising, while middle-aged men were 19 times more likely to suffer a fatal attack while exercising based on previous research on male physicians, the report published in this week's issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association said.
While exercise-induced fatal heart attacks are rare in both sexes, they can receive a lot of publicity, the report said.
The study's authors could not explain the gender gap.
Still, anyone who clutches their chests with worry when the topic of exercise arises should think again -- regular workouts are their best bet against heart disease, Albert's study and a second one from Brigham and Women's Hospital concluded.
Only women who exercised less than two hours a week were at any risk of sudden death during a workout, Albert's study found.
For women who exercised at least four hours a week -- for instance, by taking a brisk 30-minute walk daily -- the risk of sudden cardiac death fell 60 percent regardless of body size.
One-third of the women in the study did not engage in moderate or vigorous exercise at all. Only 15 percent exercised for four or more hours per week.
Being overweight carried the highest risk of having inflamed arteries, high cholesterol and other markers for heart disease, although being thin and unfit created similar risks, the second study of 27,000 women concluded.
"This means that women of all weights may significantly improve their cardiovascular risk profile by increasing their level of physical activity, and women who are physically active can additionally lower their risk by achieving and maintaining an optimal weight," lead author Samia Mora said.