Why fit athletes can still have heart attacks
Atherosclerosis and Sudden Cardiac Death in Athletes.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Even super fit older athletes can have hidden clogged arteries that no one knows about until it's too late. Younger athletes usually die from heart problems they were born with. Tests like EKGs often miss the clogged arteries in older athletes.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 51 / 5
Evidence Score
Based on clinical experience or non-systematic literature reviews. The lowest level of evidence as they are most susceptible to bias and personal perspective.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Even super fit older athletes can have hidden clogged arteries that no one knows about until it's too late. Younger athletes usually die from heart problems they were born with. Tests like EKGs often miss the clogged arteries in older athletes.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 51 / 5
Evidence Score
Based on clinical experience or non-systematic literature reviews. The lowest level of evidence as they are most susceptible to bias and personal perspective.
Publication
Authors
Muchaili L, Liweleya S, Siame L, Nzobokela J, Machacha B, Sinamwenda EN, Manjesani C, Mweene BC, Hamooya BM, Masenga SK
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Claims (6)
High levels of physical fitness do not confer complete immunity against the development of coronary atherosclerosis.
Older athletes who look healthy can still have hidden clogged arteries that suddenly cause their heart to stop, which is why we need better ways to find these problems before it's too late.
Young athletes who die suddenly during sports usually have a birth defect in their heart arteries, while older athletes die from clogged arteries — two different problems at different ages.
Standard heart tests like EKGs and treadmill tests often miss clogged arteries in older athletes, so doctors might need to use special CT scans to find these hidden problems.
To prevent athletes from dying suddenly, we need a mix of better heart tests, healthy lifestyle advice, teaching people to recognize warning signs, and having defibrillators ready at sports events.