Less Fatal Heart Attacks Occur In Middle Age Adults

New findings published in the journal Circulation show that playing sports can help reduce the risk of mortality in middle-aged athletes.

Recent findings revealed that middle-aged athletes held a lower risk of experiencing sudden cardiac arrest during exercise or physical activity. Yet those involved in sudden cardiac arrest during exercise were significantly more likely to survive future heart attacks, according to researchers.

The latest study involved 1,247 participants between the ages of 35 and 65 who were living in the metropolitan area of Portland, Ore. All involved in the study had dealt with at least one episode of sudden cardiac arrest between 2002 and 2013.

"The chance of surviving sudden cardiac arrest is better if the episode occurs while exercising, probably because there are likely to be others around who can do chest compressions until paramedics arrive," researcher Dr. Sumeet S. Chugh, M.D., associate director of the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute, said in a news release

"What this study shows is that most middle-aged athletes don't need to worry about sudden cardiac arrest while they are working out," Chugh added. "As our population ages, it's important to know that older people can exercise without worrying about triggering a heart rhythm disturbance."