title: Exercise prescription and the risk of sudden death.
abstract: Sudden and unaccustomed physical activity may precipitate ventricular fibrillation, myocardial infarction, and sudden death. Evidence supporting this contention is drawn from a review of physiopathology, reported antecedents of infarction and death, and the experience of exercise test centres and gymnasia. The risk of precipitating ventricular fibrillation in a coronary-prone population may be as high as two episodes per 1,000 man hours of physical activity. Such an incidence has important medico-legal implications for fitness test centres and gymnasia. Despite the challenge of devising an exercise prescription that will avoid these hazards, current evidence suggests the long term effects of increased physical activity improve the prognosis of the coronary-prone individual.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Shephard
references.citation: N Engl J Med. 1964 Apr 30;270:915-22
references.pmid: 14114110
references.citation: Am J Cardiol. 1972 Jul 11;30(1):25-31
references.pmid: 4260835
references.citation: Postgrad Med. 1961 Aug;30:139-47
references.pmid: 13681465
references.citation: Br Heart J. 1972 Jan;34(1):67-80
references.pmid: 5059657
references.citation: Medicine (Baltimore). 1967 Jul;46(4):341-61
references.pmid: 6043997
references.citation: Acta Med Scand. 1967 Jan;181(6):655-62
references.pmid: 4951464
references.citation: Chest. 1972 Oct;62(4):454-68
references.pmid: 4342734
references.citation: JAMA. 1971 Aug 23;217(8):1061-6
references.pmid: 5109427
references.citation: Ann Intern Med. 1951 Feb;34(2):352-92
references.pmid: 14800209
references.citation: Ann Clin Res. 1971 Dec;3(6):404-32
references.pmid: 4945367
references.citation: Can Med Assoc J. 1967 Aug 12;97(7):313-8
references.pmid: 6036741
references.citation: J Am Med Assoc. 1955 Jul 16;158(11):912-4
references.pmid: 14381267
references.citation: JAMA. 1970 Mar 9;211(10):1663-7
references.pmid: 5467085
references.citation: Can Med Assoc J. 1968 May 25;98(21):977-84
references.pmid: 5653666
references.citation: Ann Intern Med. 1969 Jun;70(6):1159-66
references.pmid: 4182784
references.citation: Med Hist. 1968 Oct;12(4):344-58
references.pmid: 4885496
references.citation: Circulation. 1968 Sep;38(3):552-8
references.pmid: 5673606