Our health unit included this information in this week's newsletter. I find it interesting and hilarious. I also wonder if there truly are 40,000 runners who die each year from sudden cardiac arrest. My favorite part is not to sprint at the end of workouts to impress our friends since that promotes plaque breakup.
The French are strange runners. It is not normal for them to run all the time regularly (so I've heard). This makes it interesting when they prepare for marathons. I've also been told they don't train up for 20 weeks...they only train up for 12 and still make their way from basically nothing to running a marathon. I also wonder if they factor in the numbers of people who smoke here ;-)
In a recent article (―Quotidien du Médecin‖) cardiologist
Professor Carré explained the physiopathology of the
sudden cardiac arrest (responsible for 40 000 deaths per
year in France). In most cases, the heart is under a big
stress. Suddenly it starts to accelerate at such a rate
that the blood cannot properly fill the heart chambers.
The heart no longer ejects the blood effectively,
eventually leading to ventricular fibrillation (life-
threatening heart arrhythmia). The brain is no longer
receiving oxygenated blood and the heart stops
functioning. The whole process takes a few seconds to a
few minutes.
Disruption of Unstable Plaque
An important thing to know is that one may develop
coronary plaque – basically deposits of lipids, or collagen-
in the heart circulation system – as early as age 15-18
and the risk of cardiovascular accident increases onward
from age 35. Sporty people are not exempted. The
problem lies in they often feel they are ―safe‖ as a result
of practicing an activity. ‖ While there are fewer
cardiovascular accidents in trained athletes, practicing in
poor conditions can be a trigger and the accident rate is
not zero. A sudden death occurring within hours
after intensive exercising/sports is not due to a long
term condition, such as a narrowing of the arteries. What
happens is that a plaque ruptures during an intense
exercise, leading to a clot later on, thus blocking a heart
vessel. What follows is a body’s physiological response,
leading to a trouble of the heart rhythm, later on
aggravated by ventricular fibrillation. Prior stress tests
and coronary scans are often negative; they may show
plaques but not their instability or erosion risk‖. Even
though the risk of sudden death is 4 to 5 times higher in
persons who practice intensive sports activities (20-30
hours per week) compared to those practicing moderate
sports activities (2 to 3 hours per week), we think
important to remind you the following:
Recommendations to those practicing regular to
moderate sport activities, notably jogging.
health and it is recommended at all ages. What matters
is to do it regularly, not in unfavorable conditions: e.g.
high heat, extreme cold, poor health that day.
It’s recommended to practice a sport or exercise in
moderation.
Each person needs to recognize and listen to her/his body
and know when the limit is reached.
•
For example, if you become short or out of breath
and cannot whistle, sing or answer questions, then
pause the activity, walk or trot slowly.
Agreeing to reduce the intensity of the exercise
activity by using a cardio frequency monitor
(theoretically 220-age) for maximal heart rate? Why
not but you’d rather learn to recognize your limits as
described above. Don’t wait until you are short of
breath!
Avoid running or exercising when very tired or stop
entirely if short of breath or not feeling well.
Watch out for sprints at the end to impress friends or
yourself; these bursts of intense energy promote
plaque rupture accidents.
Reminders! The HU is occasionally offering a few
sessions of CPR training. Learn basic skills in hands
–only cardio pulmonary resuscitation and how to
use the AED. The nearest AED (automated
defibrillator) is located in the Atrium across from
the ATM machine and vending machines.
Learn the emergency numbers to call:
#18 Pompiers (fire brigade) or #15 SAMU
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