The benefits of regular exercise likely outweigh the low risk of sports-related sudden cardiac arrest among adults ages 65 and older, a new study shows.

Only 77 (1.9%) of the 4,078 sudden cardiac arrests that occurred among older adults in Portland, Oregon (2002-2017) and Ventura County, California (2015-2021) were sports-related, according to the study. Most (91%) happened among men, and were associated with cycling, running and gym activity.

Sports activity was defined as any physical activity conducted with the goal of recreation or maintenance of physical fitness or skill. "Gym activity" encompassed every activity an older adult might engage in at the gym.

Most (77%) of the sports-related sudden cardiac arrests occurred during sports activity; 17% occurred within 1 hour after stopping the activity; and 6% could not be classified in either category.

Twenty individuals (26%) had warning symptoms - most commonly, chest pain (55%) - in the 24 hours preceding the event. Three (15%) had seizures and the rest had nonspecific symptoms such as dizziness or nausea.

Overall, those who had a sports-related sudden cardiac arrest were healthier than those whose cardiac arrest was not sports-related, with significantly fewer heart-risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity or high cholesterol.

In addition, having a sports-related sudden cardiac arrest was associated with being in a public location with higher rates of bystander-witnessed and shockable rhythms. As a result, survival outcomes were 4-fold higher than for non-sports-related sudden cardiac arrest.

The authors conclude, "These findings reinforce the low risk and potentially high benefit of exercise habituation in older adults."

To read an abstract and highlights of the study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology: Clinical Electrophysiology, click here