During intense exercise, the body undergoes numerous changes, such as increased levels of sugar, protein, and white blood cells. Additionally, exercise causes platelets to clump together more, which is one of the causes that may lead toacute myocardial ischemia in healthy individuals, the body can increase the process of dissolving blood clots at the same time, counteracting or reducing the condition of platelet clumping. However, those with pre-existing coronary artery disease have a higher risk of experiencing acute myocardial ischemia if they exercise too strenuously
Understanding Sudden Cardiac Arrest
Sudden cardiac arrest refers to the condition where the heart cannot immediately pump blood to various organs of the body. The majority of cases are due to pre-existing heart disease, which the individual may not be aware of or has never been examined before. If a patient dies within 1 hour after showing symptoms, this condition is referred to as “Sudden Cardiac Death”. This condition can occur to anyone without necessarily having heart disease or any other pre-existing conditions
Causes of Sudden Cardiac Arrest
Sudden cardiac arrest can be caused by many factors, including congenital heart abnormalities or external causes that lead to cardiac arrest. For patients older than 35 years, it is often caused by acute myocardial infarction. For those younger than 35 years, it is mostly caused by idiopathic hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a condition where exercise can trigger sudden cardiac arrest.
Furthermore, sudden cardiac arrest can also result from premature coronary artery disease in young people or congenital coronary artery abnormalities, such as Marfan’s Syndrome. External causes leading to sudden cardiac arrest include severe blunt trauma to the chest area, resulting inacute abnormal heart rhythm or known as Commotio Cordis. Additionally, athletes using doping substances, such as Anabolic – Androgenic Steroids, can also trigger sudden cardiac arrest
