Heart Attacks and Exercise

Intense exercise, sex may increase heart attack risk for inactive individuals. USA Today (3/23, Marcus) reports that "people who don't exercise on a regular basis, and then have episodes of intense exercise or sex are more likely to experience a heart attack or die suddenly than those who are more active," according to research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Bloomberg News (3/23, Ostrow) reports that investigators "analyzed 10 trials that looked at occasional exercise, three that investigated occasional sexual activity, and one study that looked at both." The Los Angeles Times (3/22, Stein) "Booster Shots" blog reported that the researchers "found periodic physical activity was associated with a 3.5-times increased risk of heart attack, and occasional sexual activity was linked with a 2.7-times increased risk of heart attack. Periodic physical activity was also linked with an increased risk of sudden cardiac death." The Washington Post (3/22, Stein) "The Checkup" blog reported, however, that "the risk for a heart attack dropped 45 percent and the risk of dying from a heart attack dropped by about 30 percent for each time each week someone got just a little exercise." The AP (3/23) reports that "most of the patients in the studies were in their late 50s and early 60s, but the findings are a cautionary tale for people in any age group who are slowing down." Also covering the story were the Time (3/22, Park) "Healthland" blog, WebMD (3/22, Doheny), HealthDay (3/22, Gardner) the Boston Globe (3/22, Kotz) "Daily Dose" blog, the NPR (3/22, Shute) "Shots" blog, CNN /Health.com (3/23, Harding), and MedPage Today (3/22, Smith).