heart

Caution! The Six Warning Signs You Shouldn’t Ignore

February 24, 2018 By Larry Creswell, MD 16 Comments

Some readers here at the blog will remember that I once wrote a monthly column for Endurance Corner, a multisport coaching outfit. Many of the links to those articles are no longer active, as readers have pointed out. One of the most popular Endurance Corner articles was a 2010 article entitled “Caution! The Five Warning Signs You Shouldn’t Ignore.” I thought I’d update the article here at the blog, and include an additional, sixth warning sign that athletes should also be aware of.

Over the years, I’ve noticed that my athlete friends seem to be very “in touch” with their bodies. They can be hyper-vigilant about the first signs of “swimmer’s elbow” or plantar fasciitis or leg muscle strain. They’re also apt to be proactive about dealing with these problems. Maybe that’s just because it’s sometimes easy to self-diagnose a musculoskeletal problem and easy to self-prescribe rest, ice, or analgesics. Maybe over time, they’ve learned the lesson that early intervention can head off bigger problems later on. That’s an important lesson, too.

I’ve also noticed, though, that my athlete friends sometimes give short shrift to some of the warning signs of potentially more worrisome problems—problems that stem from the heart or cardiovascular system. In my experience, it seems that men are worse than women. Like I’ve mentioned in previous articles, young “healthy” men just don’t like to go to the doctor. It’s easy to think that we’re invincible and ignore serious warning signs until they simply can’t be ignored any longer. But just like plantar fasciitis, it’s always best to recognize and deal with any serious heart-related problem earlier rather than later.

Here’s my short list of six warning signs that you shouldn’t ignore. These are symptoms that you should discuss with your doctor. Get reassurance if there’s really no serious problem and get thoroughly evaluated if your doctor believes there may truly be something wrong.

Chest pain or discomfort. Once every few weeks I meet with a small group of third year medical students to talk about patient scenarios that involve chest surgery. One of the scenarios that we discuss deals with a young man with chest pain. I ask the medical students to come up with a list of the potential causes and I’m always amazed at how many answers are offered up. Sometimes they’re able to list 30 or more. That’s the way it is with chest pain—many, many potential causes. These include things like injuries to the chest, reflux disease of the stomach, inflammation of the joints between the ribs and breast bone, anxiety, and diseases of the esophagus, among others. The students are quick to remember the potentially life-threatening causes such as heart attack (acute myocardial infarction), collapse of one of the lungs (pneumothorax), tears (dissection) of the aorta, the large blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart, and pulmonary embolism, the condition where blood clots form and travel to the lungs. I suppose that any of these causes may be in play for an athlete with chest pain. But the particular scenario that’s most important for athletes is chest pain or discomfort that comes with exertion and is relieved by rest. This can be an indication of coronary artery disease (CAD) that is usually caused by plaque build-up in the coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle itself. In its early stages, the pain can be very subtle, perhaps nothing more than a twinge. In its later stages, the pain can be crippling. The good news is that, working with your doctor, you can be evaluated to see if chest pain is due to CAD. A variety of treatments may be available depending upon your situation. Don’t ignore chest pain!
Unexplained shortness of breath. As athletes, we’re all short of breath at some point—some of us earlier than others. And as athletes, we usually become accustomed to the level of shortness of breath that is associated with a given workout or level of effort. What’s worrisome is when there is some change to that pattern—when shortness of breath is unexpectedly out of proportion to what you’d ordinarily expect. That’s when the alarm bells should go off inside your head. Just like chest pain, there are a myriad of causes of shortness of breath, ranging from pulmonary or bronchial infections, to asthma (potentially made worse with exercise), to blood clots in the lungs (pulmonary embolism). For athletes, the most worrisome sign might be shortness of breath that persists after exercise stops or shortness of breath that occurs at rest. Both are signs that a heart condition may be responsible. This is a warning sign that you should report to your doctor.
Loss of consciousness. Much of medical school involves learning a big vocabulary of new “medical” words. Our word for sudden, unexpected loss of consciousness is syncope. Patients will use a variety of terms like “blacking out,” “passing out,” “falling out,” or even just “lightheadedness” or “dizziness.” Again, there are many causes, such as dehydration, side effects of various medications, etc. For athletes, one common scenario is near-syncope or syncope at the end of a workout, when the exercise is stopped abruptly without a period of cooling down. Thankfully, that situation can be avoided just by remembering to have an appropriate cool-down after each workout. The most worrisome type of syncope occurs during exercise. This almost always indicates a serious underlying medical problem—and often related to the heart. All cases of syncope should be discussed with your doctor, but it’s particularly important (bordering on emergency) to be evaluated if you have syncope during exercise.
Unexplained fatigue. Like shortness of breath, all athletes are familiar with fatigue. Almost regardless of the sport, fatigue just comes with the territory. It’s important to remember that, besides exercise, there are many causes of fatigue, including depression, the side effects of various medications, and anemia, among others. It’s also true that fatigue can be a symptom of underlying heart disease. Athletes become accustomed to the degree of fatigue that is associated with any particular workout or load and they should be acutely aware when there is a change to this pattern. Whenever there is a sudden change in an athlete’s pattern of fatigue or when the fatigue persists for an excessively long time, it’s important to get evaluated. Find out what’s going on.
Palpitations. Of the first five of these warning signs, palpitations—the feeling of an abnormally strong, fast, or irregular heartbeat that just grabs your attention—is undoubtedly the most common among athletes. It’s an unusual problem in school-aged athletes, but is very common among middle-aged endurance athletes. In some reports, as many as 70% of adult athletes report this problem. The palpitations may occur during exercise or at rest. We could make a long list of specific arrhythmias (abnormal heartbeats) that explain palpitations in athletes. The most common problems are due to abnormal heartbeats or rhythms (like atrial fibrillation) that start in the upper chambers of the heart (atria). Most of these arrhythmias are benign and require no treatment. But if you’re bothered by frequent palpitations, it is best to find out exactly what’s causing them, because they’re sometimes a sign of underlying heart problems that do require treatment. Resist the urge to ignore this problem.
Unexplained decrease in performance. I didn’t include this warning sign in my original list back in 2010, but I’m adding it here because of what I’ve learned over these past few years. By decrease in performance, I’m talking about an unexplained decrease in pace, endurance, or perhaps other measures of performance. Needless to say, there could be many reasons for such a decrement, including (poor) nutrition or hydration, various illnesses or injuries, the distractions of life outside of sports, depression, or even, simply, aging. All of those potential causes deserve attention, of course. But I’ve also seen cases where an unexplained decrease in performance, in the absence of any of the other five warning signs above, was the only indication of a serious heart condition. In situations where a decrease in performance persists despite consideration of the more innocuous causes, evaluation by your doctor with a particular eye toward hidden heart problems may be in order.

I realize this is a short list. But by paying attention to just these six warning signs, athletes can uncover many of the potentially serious underlying heart-related conditions that could place them at risk. Do this for yourself and remind your athlete friends, too.

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A Preseason Check-up (Specifically for Men)

February 5, 2018 By Larry Creswell, MD Leave a Comment

This is the time of year I get inquiries about pre-season medical check-up’s. I’ve written previously on this subject, including how to find a doctor in your area. I’m frequently asked, though, exactly what type of check-up is needed. Here’s my take.

Today, let me focus specifically on adult male recreational athletes. I’ll deal specifically with women in a follow-up post.

First, in terms of screening adult recreational athletes for sports-related heart risks, adult men are the group where we might expect to get the most “bang for our buck.” We know that men account for the vast majority of victims of sports-related sudden cardiac death, not only in large populations involving all types of sports, but also in very specific sports such as long-distance running and triathlon. There’s a very real reason to be looking for hidden heart disease in male athletes.

Second, in contrast to women, “healthy” men in their 20’s, 30’s, 40’s, and even 50’s are unlikely to make periodic visits to the doctor (except for injury) and very often do not have a current primary care provider (PCP). It may have been years—perhaps back to high school or college—that many men last had a complete physical exam in some context other than for a musculoskeletal injury, which typically requires a rather narrow focus. As a result, there’s often been little opportunity for discussion between adult male recreational athletes and a healthcare provider about any heart risks associated with sports participation.

Let me share how I would approach a pre-season check-up for an adult male recreational athlete who does not already have a PCP….

Although I’m a heart specialist, here I would need to put on my generalist hat to make the most of the encounter.

I would have 3 goals:

Identify any cardiovascular conditions that required further evaluation or treatment as well as any risk factors for future heart disease that could (and should) be modified;
Make an assessment of the patient’s cardiovascular risks of exercise in order to offer appropriate advice about safe forms of exercise; and
Identify any non-cardiovascular conditions that required follow-up with another doctor.

Before the Office Visit

One of the most important parts of a check-up is sharing what we call the “medical history,” an accounting of everything medically-related that’s already happened to a patient. This would include:

Past medical history (childhood illnesses, adult illnesses, surgical or other procedures)
Immunizations
Injuries
Medications and supplements
Allergies
Family history (illnesses that run in the family)
Personal and social history (smoking, drinking, sexual activity and habits, substance use/abuse, work history, travel history)
Review of symptoms (yes/no answers to a long list of questions about current symptoms).

In addition, I would also want to collect information about insurance coverage, the names and contact information for any other current and previous medical providers, and an outline of an athlete’s current exercise habits.

Depending upon the complexity of a patient’s situation, gathering all of this information could be rather time-consuming. So, in order to make the most of our available face-to-face time at the upcoming office visit, I find it helpful to collect as much of this information as possible well ahead of the office visit. I like to use 2 forms:

A general purpose medical history form such as the Health Care Consumer Questionnaire.
American Academy of Family Physicians Preparticipation Physical Evaluation forms. These forms are used ordinarily for secondary school-based screening programs, but I am fond of the first page of the History Form, which asks a series of questions (#5 through #16) related specifically to heart risk. I ask patients to complete items #1 through #51 on the first page and to discard the other pages.

When I’ve received these completed forms, I would review them and consider the possible need to gather additional information ahead of the office visit such as:

records from other physicians or hospitals
results from any heart-related diagnostic tests that may already have been completed (eg, ECG, chest x-ray, echocardiogram, Holter monitor, stress test, laboratory tests, pulmonary function tests, carotid Doppler studies, coronary calcium scoring CT scan).

Lastly, I would make a determination about any new diagnostic testing that may be helpful on the day of the office visit and schedule those tests, if any, for the morning of the office visit. If I think such testing will be helpful, I would have a telephone call with the patient ahead of the visit to explain the need for these tests.

At the Office Visit

I would plan for an office visit of approximately 45 to 60 minutes.

The first portion of the office visit is devoted to an interview. I generally spend half of the visit time on the interview. We often say that the medical history provides 80%+ of the clues to diagnosis.

First, I ask what motivated the patient for wanting the visit. There are many possible motivations. Next, we would have a chance to review the information that had already been provided about the patient’s medical history. I would take the time to clarify and better understand anything in the history that was specifically related to the heart. We would focus on those history items and on any symptoms related to exercise. I would finish by asking the patient if there were any additional, specific concerns that we should address at this visit.

The second portion of the office visit is devoted to a physical exam. Here, I would offer a complete, head-to-toe physical exam, but with special emphasis on the cardiovascular system. The exam would include:

Measurement of the height, weight, and vital signs (blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, temperature)
Screening neurologic exam
Examination of the head, neck, ears, eyes, nose, and throat
Respiratory exam
Cardiovascular exam (heart, carotid arteries, abdominal aorta, arteries of the arms/legs)
Abdominal exam, including check for hernias
Genito-urinary exam
Rectal and prostate exam, in men older than 40 years
Examination of the skin

The third portion of the exam is devoted to a discussion, or wrap-up. Here, we would discuss my findings from the medical history and the physical exam and my assessment of the patient’s overall and heart health.

For the majority of patients–those who do not have any heart-related symptoms or any abnormal physical exam findings–we would spend some time discussing the utility of screening tests such as ECG, echocardiogram, laboratory testing (eg, fasting glucose, fasting serum lipid levels), or stress testing, along with the advantages, disadvantages, and potential costs. Together, we would decide if any of these tests would be helpful. There is a place for such screening tests, but only with thoughtful discussion first.

For other patients, we might identify some new heart-related condition–or at least the possibility of one. As examples, we might find that the blood pressure is elevated or note the presence of a heart murmur. In this situation, we would talk about what sort of diagnostic tests might be needed to further clarify a problem and perhaps what treatment(s) would be needed for any conditions we discovered. Needless to say, there are many potentially useful tests, depending upon the patient’s circumstances, so we won’t go into detail here. In the case of potential inherited disorders, we might need to consider evaluating other family members as well.

In either situation, if additional testing were needed we would make a plan for getting those tests completed. We would also plan for how I would share those results with the patient (eg, by telephone or during a follow-up visit). I would ordinarily make plans to visit with the patient again to discuss the results of any important testing and to resume with our wrap-up once all of the important information was at hand. If more specialized heart care were needed, I would discuss referral to the appropriate specialist (eg, general cardiologist, electrophysiologist, interventional cardiologist, specialist in congenital heart disease) and, in some cases, I would turn over the patient’s care to that specialist.

Next, we would discuss how the patient’s overall and heart health related to his/her plans for exercise and sports participation. Together, we would settle on a list of activities that would be “safe” and, likewise, settle on a list of any activities that should be avoided. We would talk about potential warning signs of heart troubles and how to be vigilant for these. If the patient required a “doctor’s letter” or some sort of pre-participation form to be completed, we would go over that form together and review its requirements. I often complete such letters or forms and return them to the patient by mail sometime after the visit.

We would then make an inventory of any other medical problems (that were not heart-related) that needed follow-up and work together to settle on an appropriate action plan. Examples of such medical problems could include: colon cancer screening in men older than 50 years, that would require a gastroenterologist visit; eyesight troubles that might best be evaluated by an ophthalmologist; periodic screening for sexually transmitted illnesses, which might best be accomplished by a primary care physician; dental care which would best be provided by a dentist; and depression, that might best be evaluated by a psychiatrist. The list of possibilities is virtually endless; this is why there can be tremendous value in having a PCP.

Before we finish the wrap-up, I would take time to have a discussion about any questions or concerns the patient brought. I usually suggest that patients bring a written set of questions that we can answer these one by one.

Finally, I would make a recommendation about when the patient should next be seen for another check-up. For “healthy” patients–those without chronic medical conditions that require monitoring–I generally suggest a check-up every 3 years for men <40 years old, every 2 years for those 40-50 years old, and every year thereafter.

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More on Triathlon Fatalities–A Scientific Report

September 18, 2017 By Larry Creswell, MD 4 Comments

Readers here at the blog will know that I’ve had a long-standing interest in triathlon fatalities. My interest was originally sparked by media reports and the paradox that seemingly healthy and fit triathletes might die on race day.

I was involved with an internal review of this problem at USA Triathlon (USAT), the governing body for the sport of triathlon in the United States. In 2011, that task force issued a formal report and set of recommendations for athletes, event organizers, and USAT itself. Those written recommendations are still valuable today as we work to reduce the number of triathlon race-related fatalities.

In this week’s edition of Annals of Internal Medicine, I joined with Drs. Kevin Harris and Barry Maron from the Minneapolis Heart Institute in reporting on “Death and Cardiac Arrest in U.S. Triathlon Participants, 1985-2016: A Case Series.” In this scientific report, we’ve gathered information about 122 athletes who died and another 13 athletes who suffered cardiac arrest but survived during triathlon races in the United States over the past 3 decades. This is, by far, the most comprehensive scientific report on this subject.

Special thanks go to the leadership at USAT which recognized the importance of this issue, has been proactive in working to reduce the number of race-related fatalities, and was extraordinarily helpful to our investigative team as we assembled the information for our new report.

The Important Observations

Victims were 47 +/- 12 years old
85% were men
Almost 40% were first-time triathlon participants
There were no elite or professional athletes among the victims
The overall rate for fatalities or cardiac arrest was 1.74 per 100,000 participants (2.40 for men, 0.79 for women). For comparison, the rates of cardiac arrest (including fatalities) are approximately 1.0 per 100,000 participants in marathons and 0.3 per 100,000 participants in half marathons.
The fatality risk in triathlon increases exponentially with age; the fatality rate was 18.6 per 100,000 participants among men 60+ years old
Fatality rates were similar for short, intermediate, and long-distance races
The majority of deaths (74%) occurred during the swim segment; smaller numbers of deaths occurred during the bike or run segments or after finishing the race
Among 22 fatalities occurring during the bike segment, 15 were due to traumatic injuries
At autopsy, clinically relevant (but presumably previously unrecognized) heart/vascular disease was found in many victims

A Recipe for Doing Better

We should focus on two strategies for reducing the number of fatalities: 1) we should work to prevent incidents of race-related cardiac arrest and 2) we should work to improve the survival rate for any such victims of cardiac arrest. Athletes, physicians, event organizers, safety personnel, and sport governing bodies can all play an important role.

Athletes should:

Make certain that their participation in a particular race is in keeping with their health, both chronic and acute, as well as their ability and preparation.
Consider their heart health before participating. This may be particularly true for first-time participants and for men who have reached middle age. For older men, testing for “hidden” coronary artery disease (CAD) or other forms of cardiovascular disease may be appropriate.
Assess their health on race day and consider not racing if they are “sick.” Symptoms, particularly systemic symptoms like fever, are related to DNF rates in other sports settings.
Be prepared for the rigors of a triathlon swim. It is important to be a capable swimmer and to have practiced open water swimming in advance of the race.
Think to STOP at the first sign of medical troubles (unexplained shortness of breath, chest pain/discomfort, or light-headedness), particularly during the swim segment.

Physicians should:

Be aware of the risks of participating in triathlon and be in a position to counsel their athlete patients about those risks in the context of the patient’s specific health situation.
Consider the potential value of cardiac screening, particularly for occult CAD in men who have reached middle age. Evidence-based screening protocols are not yet available, so an approach will need to be individualized. In most cases, an evaluation of the traditional risk factors for CAD would be appropriate and in some cases, additional testing such as calcium-scoring cardiac CT or stress testing may be appropriate. Athletes who are just beginning an exercise program should receive special attention in this regard.

Event organizers should:

Develop a robust safety plan, particularly for the swim segment, that enables prompt (near instantaneous) identification of a lifeless victim, and then rescue of that individual to a location where CPR, defibrillation, and advanced life support can be provided.
Have a communication system for all individuals involved in race-day safety.
Rehearse the safety response to a lifeless victim, especially for the swim segment.

Race-day safety officials should:

Be trained in CPR and use of the AED.
Be familiar, through rehearsal, with the communication and safety plans.

Sports governing bodies should:

Provide education for athletes, event organizers, medical directors, and volunteer safety officials about life-threatening race-day emergencies.
Develop rules and sanctioning requirements that promote athlete safety.

Reference:

Harris KM, Creswell LL, Haas TS, Thomas T, Tung M, Isaacson E, Garberich RF, Maron BJ. Death and cardiac arrest in U.S. triathlon participants. Annals of Internal Medicine 2017 (in press).

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Book Review: Haywire Heart

April 5, 2017 By Larry Creswell, MD Leave a Comment

Check out the recently published “The Haywire Heart” by Chris Case, John Mandrola, MD, and Lennard Zinn. The book is available at Amazon and other outlets.

You may recall that Case, Mandrola, and Zinn authored an article in VeloNews, entitled “Cycling to Extremes: Are endurance athletes hurting their hearts by repeatedly pushing beyond what is normal?” This was a terrific read. I wrote a previous blog post sharing my thoughts about the article and about the issue of arrhythmias and endurance sport, more generally. Their article generated much discussion in the cycling and broader endurance sports communities and the interest of readers served as the motivation for their new book.

This is a book about electrical problems in the heart–the various arrhythmias. Case, Mandrola, and Zinn are in a unique position to bring this topic to life because each has dealt personally with some form of arrhythmia. And as long time cyclists (and perhaps with some triathlon experience as well), they’re able fashion the discussion to the avid endurance athlete. From the medical perspective, the field of arrhythmias is rather complicated, both in terms of the underlying mechanisms of disease and the evaluation and treatment of affected patients, but here the authors have found a writing style that is captivating and accessible to the non-medical reader, while retaining much medical detail that will be of interest. I give them credit because this is hard to do!

I love the title. With an arrhythmia, the heart is truly “haywire.” Ignore the line on the cover, though, about “How too much exercise can kill you.” That’s unlikely to happen and there’s little in the book about that particular issue. Instead, focus on “what you can do to protect your heart.” That’s where the value lies here.

The book is organized into 9 chapters. In Chapters 1-3, the authors describe in detail how the normal heart works, outline how the heart adapts over time to endurance exercise, and introduce the medical aspects of heart attack and arrhythmias, especially for the endurance athlete. These sections are well-illustrated and are a great primer for any athlete interested in learning more about the heart.

Chapters 4-6 focus on the evidence of a link between long-time endurance exercise and arrhythmias, what to look for in yourself, and what it’s like to receive the diagnosis of an arrhythmia. Here, the authors speak from personal experience and their observations and advice are valuable.

Chapter 7 deals with the issue of exercise addiction. We know that exercise is generally healthy, but most of the benefits of exercise accrue with the first few hours per week. Why, then, do athletes exercise more? When does one become addicted? What are the implications? This is an interesting and pertinent discussion and might provoke some warranted introspection.

Chapter 8 covers the various treatment options for athletes with various arrhythmia problems. For athletes who don’t have trouble with arrhythmias, the discussion is educational in a broad sense. For those who do have arrhthymias, though, there is ample detail here to become educated and be better engaged with your doctor(s) as you sort out the best treatment for you.

Finally, in Chapter 9, the authors wrap up with their “takeaway” on how we might prevent arrhythmia problems.

One of my favorite aspects of the book is the inclusion of Case Studies sprinkled throughout the text, where the authors illustrate their points in a side bar with the personal account of an athlete. These stories bring us the human side of arrhythmias and show how difficult these problems can sometimes be.

This book is for….

the athlete with an arrhythmia problem. There’s a lot of familiar territory here as well as the opportunity to learn more. An educated patient is the ideal patient.
the athlete with simply an interest in the heart. I can’t think of a better resource to become educated about the workings of the heart, particularly as they relate to the endurance athlete.
the athlete (or the athlete’s spouse or parent) who’s afraid of causing harm to the heart through exercise. Be forewarned and be vigilant.

Related Posts:

Heart to Start, by James Beckerman, MD
The Exercise Cure, by Jordan Metzl, MD
Cardiac Athletes, by Lars Andrews

Returning to Exercise (and Training) After Heart Surgery

May 1, 2016 By Larry Creswell, MD 45 Comments

I’ve had a bunch of requests for a blog post on getting back to exercise or training after heart surgery. These requests usually come from: 1) athletes who are contemplating an upcoming operation and are already worried about if/when/whether they’ll be able to get back to exercise afterwards or 2) athletes who’ve recently had successful operations and are looking to become active once again, but are looking for reassurance that it’s safe to do so. I marvel every time I see an athlete patient get back to exercise after heart surgery, so I’m always encouraged by these inquiries.

For today’s discussion, let’s confine ourselves to what I call “conventional” heart surgery—the whole collection of heart operations that use a chest incision, with splitting of the breast bone (sternum), and make use of the heart-lung machine for cardiopulmonary bypass during the procedure. We’ll save for another day those procedures that are “less invasive” in some way, use some other incision or approach, and those that don’t make use of the heart-lung machine. As examples, I’m talking about common operations like coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) or heart valve repair or replacement.

At the outset, we need to have a big disclaimer. Athlete patients are all different. Their operations are different, too—even when we’re talking about just the commonly performed operations. And because athletes and operations are all different, I can only generalize here.

If you’re an athlete patient, please use this post to become educated about some of the issues and help gather your thoughts for conversations with your own doctor(s). This is the only way to settle on plans that are right for you.

Athletes in this situation should remember that there are very real issues with the safety of exercise. My best advice is to take things slowly and consult with your doctor(s) frequently.

Athletes and Operations are Unique

Athletes who need heart operations can be different in many ways. Some need operation for congenital, or inherited, conditions they’ve had since birth (eg, atrial septal defect [ASD]). Others need operation for acquired conditions that take many years to develop (eg, coronary artery disease, aortic aneurysm). In still others, an emergency operation may be needed for some sort of acute problem (eg, aortic dissection).

In many cases, athletes will have conditions where the heart function is preserved, but some will have conditions where the heart has suffered some sort of damage, and become weakened, over time. Some athletes will be healthy except for their heart condition and others will have other medical conditions that affect not only the operation, but also the recovery.

Finally, athletes will come with all sorts of sports backgrounds and all sorts of future goals. Some will be young and others will be old. Some will be recreational athletes, some will be exercisers, and some will be competitive athletes. Some will have had high fitness levels before operation, and others will not. The demands of the various sports are different, too. Some have highly “dynamic” nature (eg, running). Others have a high “static” nature (eg, weightlifting).

Heart operations are different, too. In some cases, operations can be curative. In others, the operation might better be thought of as “mending a broken heart.” Moreover, in some cases the underlying heart condition can take a long time to improve, even if operation is successful.

For all of these reasons, there can be no “one-size-fits-all” prescription for return to activity, exercise, and training. Instead, the prescription must be individualized.

Healing Up

Things need to get healed up after operation. This should be obvious.

The surgical wounds need to heal after surgery. The skin incision ordinarily heals very quickly. With either skin staples or absorbable sutures beneath the skin, the surgical wound usually seals in the first few days. It’s worth paying attention to instructions for showering, bathing, and swimming. Any infection of the surgical wound can be a major setback to healing. Pay attention to instructions to watch for swelling, redness, or drainage that might be signs of infection.

Deeper, the breast bone (sternum) is like any other broken bone. We wire the sternum back together and in most cases, the bone knits back together just like any other broken bone. This is a process that takes many weeks, but we often say that the bone regains about 75% of its strength in the first month, so long as healing proceeds correctly. During the first month, we generally restrict activities that place stress on the sternum as it heals. We ask patients to avoid pushing, pulling, reaching, or even just carrying heavy objects (more than 10 pounds). Many surgeons also restrict driving for the first month. All of these activity restrictions are important because exercise early after operation must usually involve the lower body, rather than the upper body.

Deeper still, the heart itself must heal up. Regardless of the exact operation, the handiwork here usually involves needle and thread. The tissues are sewn together or new materials (eg, heart valves) are sewn into the heart. Although the tissues or devices are fixed securely in place, it takes many weeks or even months for the affected tissues to heal completely. Your surgeon will be in the best position to comment on the expected period of time that will be needed for healing and to offer advice about any longer term risks to the affected tissues, devices, or prosthetics used that might come with various forms of exercise.

One final point is that healing may be impaired in some patients. Conditions such as diabetes, a suppressed immune system (eg, from illness or medications such as steroids), or even just poor nutrition before operation can delay healing substantially.

Is the heart mended? Or good as new? Does the disease continue even after the operation?

Thinking ahead to physical activity after operation, one very important consideration is: how healthy is the heart now? Have we cured the problem? Or have we mended the problem? Or, perhaps, have we introduced some new problem?

The important question to consider is: Does my current heart situation place me at increased risk for a future problem? And, if so, how big is that risk?

As one example, sometimes an athlete will need operation to correct an atrial septal defect (ASD), an inherited condition. If this condition is found before any damage has occurred to the heart or lungs, operation is curative and athletes can generally return to any form of sports activities after they’ve healed up.

As another example, sometimes an athlete will need coronary artery bypass surgery after a heart attack, or acute myocardial infarction (MI), in medical terms. The “plumbing” can be fixed with operation so that blood flow is restored past all (or most) of the blockages in the coronary arteries. It turns out, though, that it can take up to 2 years for the ruptured plaque that caused the MI to become stabilized. During that time, the best advice might be to limit strenuous exercise because of the increased risk of repeat MI.

In yet another example, sometimes an athlete will need operation for repair of an aortic aneurysm. Most often, a portion of the enlarged aorta is “repaired” by replacing the blood vessel with a synthetic, fabric substitute. After successful operation, though, there may still be mild enlargement of the remaining aorta that deserves surveillance over time for possible enlargement. Sports activities with a high “static” component (eg, weightlifting), where there can be large increases in the blood pressure, may not be advisable, for fear of accelerating aortic enlargement over time.

These are just 3 examples. The scenarios are virtually endless.

New Medications

For some athletes, things can be so “normal” after heart surgery that no new medications are needed. Sometimes, medications that were required before the operation are no longer needed. These athletes are fortunate.

For other athletes, though, new medications can be needed either because of the underlying heart condition or because of new hardware that’s been added. As an example, aspirin, beta blockers, and statins are often recommended for athletes who’ve had operation for coronary artery disease. Each of these medications will have implications for the athlete. As another example, blood thinners like warfarin (Coumadin) might be prescribed for an athlete with a mechanical heart valve. The anticoagulants also bring a potential risk of unwanted, serious bleeding in the event of bodily injury. This is a factor which must be weighed when settling on what types of physical activity are safe.

Cardiac Rehabilitation

Cardiac rehabilitation, or “rehab” for short, is a supervised program that includes medical evaluation, development of a physical activity program specific for the patient, educational services, and individual and group exercise where the vital signs and EKG can be monitored. The structure of these programs may vary by location, but will usually involve both an inpatient phase and an outpatient phase.

At many heart surgery programs, the inpatient phase of cardiac rehab begins within the first couple days after operation, with both educational and exercise components. There are usually educational offerings about nutrition, medications, lifestyle modifications, and community resources. There is also an exercise component that is tailored to the patient, usually involving walking at first, where there is close monitoring of the vital signs, the heart rhythm, and the oxygen level in the blood stream. It’s important early after operation, together with the patient and family, to establish expectations and goals about physical activity.

Cardiac rehab continues with an outpatient phase, where patients can enroll in a monitored exercise program, often in a group setting, with several sessions per week. Athletes may sometimes fail to see the value in such a program, but these programs can actually provide some much needed structure to the early return to exercise. Most importantly, these programs can provide confidence for the athlete that once they leave a structured setting, things will still be okay with their heart and safety during exercise. I’d recommend a full cardiac rehab program for all athletes who are looking to return to exercise after operation.

For most patients, walking is the most appropriate exercise early after operation, with an emphasis on moderate exertion and increasing duration.

Support

Having a good support system is important for any patient after heart surgery. It’s particularly true for the athlete who is returning to a formal exercise or training program after heart surgery. You can envision this support system as having a set of layers.

Closest to home, athletes will benefit from a family that helps to encourage a return to physical activity and works to make this possible. Family is usually the best support for ensuring continued good nutrition, ensuring restful sleep (including naps), and seeing to other various needs after the patient returns home from the hospital.

When it comes to returning to structured, independent exercise, I believe that a group setting is often best. We all know that it’s more motivating when we have friends to meet for the morning run or ride. In the case of athletes with recent heart surgery, it’s also reassuring for the athlete to know that company is nearby if some sort of medical problem crops up during an exercise session. Even if this possibility is unlikely, a group of fellow exercisers can provide some needed confidence.

Being able to share experiences with other athletes who’ve had similar surgery can often be helpful, even if those athletes aren’t close to home. There are a variety of support groups with an online presence, but two of my favorites are the Ironheart Foundation and Cardiac Athletes. Both offer an opportunity to network with similar athletes, learn from their experiences, and also have a forum to “give back.” You’re not alone. Many other athlete patients are dealing with the same or very similar situations.

Lastly, for athletes who are looking for some good reading material, one good resource is a book entitled “Heart to Start,” by cardiologist James Beckerman, MD. I’ve written a review about this book previously here at the blog. The book describes a gradual, structured path to resuming aerobic exercise and conditioning once cardiac rehab is completed.

Follow-up

It’s wise for athlete patients to put together a robust framework of medical support as they return to physical activity after heart surgery. Your “team” should include at least your heart surgeon, your cardiologist, and your primary care provider. At the beginning, there might also be a nutritionist, your cardiac rehab specialist, or physical therapist, as well. Perhaps you can think of other important team members as well.

Continuous dialog with your team is essential. Only you will be able to describe your goals and ambitions and ask for feedback about the advisability and safety issues. Don’t assume that your doctor(s) will understand what it means to train for the masters national swimming championship or a marathon or a 70.3 triathlon. If you envision several hours of aerobic exercise as well as strength training each weak, be prepared to describe this in detail, with expected exertion levels or heart rates, so that your doctor(s) can know exactly what you have in mind. Don’t hold back.

Athletes should arrange for periodic visits with their doctor(s) so that they can discuss their plans for physical activity, share their experiences, both good and bad, develop plans, agree on any restrictions, and monitor progress. This is good advice for any athlete, but particularly good advice for athletes who have had heart surgery.

In thinking about what sorts of exercise or training is safe for their athlete patients, doctors don’t always have a bunch of accumulated scientific evidence to rely upon. I’ve written previously here at the blog about consensus recommendations about the safety of sports for young, competitive athletes with various cardiac conditions. These recommendations weren’t developed specifically for adult, recreational athletes after heart surgery, but they may provide a starting point for discussion. Often, though, doctors must rely upon judgment and personal experience with similar patients.

Warning signs of a problem

I’ve talked previously about 5 important warning signs of potential heart problems: chest pain/discomfort, unusual shortness of breath, palpitations, blacking out (or nearly so), and unusual fatigue. Athletes should be vigilant about these general warning signs and report them to their doctor(s).

There may also be additional warning signs to watch for, that are very specific to the type of surgery an athlete has had. Some examples would include:

For those with a mechanical heart valve, stroke symptoms (temporary or permanent loss of sensation or muscle weakness) would be important
For those with coronary artery disease, return of angina symptoms (chest pain/discomfort) would be important
For those with aortic aneurysms, return of chest, back, or abdominal pain would be important
For those with arrhythmias, return of an irregular heartbeat or palpitations would be important.

Sometime in the first few weeks after operation, you should have a discussion with your doctor(s) about any specific warning signs that are most important for you. And then you should be vigilant.

Summary

Let me summarize the important points:

Each athlete’s situation will be different
Whatever the approach to returning to activity, pay attention to getting healed up, as a first priority
Participate in a cardiac rehab program
Consider your “new,” current heart situation as you make plans about the safety of exercise
Rely on your support network as you return to physical activity
Assemble a medical “team” to help as you return to physical activity
Make a list and be vigilant about warning signs that are specific to your circumstance

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