Why do heart attacks happen while working out?
Answer : The reasons vary between young individuals and adults.
For young individuals, the commonest causes are due to hereditary (medical condition passed on from parents to their offspring or descendants )or congenital (condition that occurs at or before birth ) heart related diseases, e.g., hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, Marfan syndrome, mitral valve prolapse, and arrhythmias. In adults, however, coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most frequent cause.
The mechanism is increased stress on the heart caused by sudden increases in heart rate and blood pressure, as well as a surge in hormones (catecholamines), resulting in exercise-induced spasm of coronary arteries (heart blood vessels) or sudden severe blockage due to a blood clot. There is also an increase in platelet thrombogenicity, i.e. stickiness of the platelets because of the hormonal surge, and this happens more in sedentary people who are unaccustomed to high-intensity exercise.
What is the reason behind the rising incidence of heart attack during workout.
Answer :
There is an increasing incidence of young people and adults suffering from comorbidities like obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and bad lifestyles and habits, e.g., smoking and sedentary life . Such people and now doing high-intensity workouts are especially vulnerable to getting post-workout heart attacks. This is especially important for those who have a history of heart problems or if it runs in their family.