Heart attacks while exercising have become quite common nowadays. Famous television actor Siddhaanth Vir Surryavanshi collapsed in the gym on Friday, while working out. The reason behind the 46-year-old sudden demise is unknown as of now.
Siddhaanth Vir Surryavanshi rose to fame with shows like Kasautii Zindagii Kay, Krishna Arjun, Kya Dill Mein Hai, and others. He was one of the popular names in the television industry.
There have been many such cases where people have lost their lives the in the gym. And many cases have claimed that overexerting or the regular intake of protein shakes are the few reasons behind it as it causes heart attacks. We always thought that people lose their lives because they are unfit or have some medical history, but in the past few years, we have seen how fit people are getting heart attacks at an early age.
# Is there a correlation between exertion and heart attacks?True heart attacks are caused by a rupture of the atherosclerotic plaque with subsequent thrombus (blood clot) formation within the artery, disrupting blood flow down the artery. Fundamentally, we do not know why the stable plaque in the coronary artery ruptures, resulting in a heart attack. Exertion does not appear to be a risk factor for plaque rupture and the events are likely coincidental and not truly causative. If a patient has a hemodynamically significant lesion (>70%), exertion will cause symptoms like angina (pain in the chest, shoulders, arms and neck), but the patient is unlikely to have a myocardial infarction (MI) as long as the pain subsides with rest.
# Would it ever be possible that exertion could trigger a heart episode?As above, if a patient has a significant flow limiting lesion (typically >70%) exertion can cause angina. When we exert ourselves, we need to increase blood flow to the exerting muscles, which requires the heart to work harder. The heart needs to increase its own blood flow if it is working harder and if there is an abnormal narrowing (stenosis) of the supplying vessels that limits the amount of blood that gets to the muscle, it could result in symptoms. But again, a heart attack is a complete occlusion of the vessel by thrombus resulting from a ruptured plaque.
# What can people do to reduce their risk?Risk factor modification is the best way to prevent heart attacks and heart disease. Control your blood pressure, glucose, cholesterol and quit smoking to minimize the danger. Moderation in diet and regular exercise are significant lifestyle modifications that go a long way for prevention as well.
# Do the benefits of exercise outweigh the risks?The benefits of exercise far outweigh the minimal risks of a cardiac event. If you look at the relative risk of an MI in people who exercise 4+ days/week versus those who do less, it is 1.3 versus 6.9. Exercise is protective, but of course it is not a 100 percent guarantee. You still need to know your other risk factors and modify them.
# What are some safety measures people can take while exercising?To be safe, you need to know your numbers and make sure you have modified areas of risk. Be aware of the typical and atypical symptoms of heart disease and notify your physician if you are concerned you are having any of these symptoms.