Cardiovascular Complications of Recreational Physical Activity

In brief To evaluate the incidence of major cardiovascular complications (CVCs) during recreational activity the authors conducted a five-year retrospective survey of fatal and nonfatal CVCs that occurred in community recreation centers during or immediately after exercise. Forty-eight facilities reported 30 nonfatal and 38 fatal CVCs. Although most (57%) occurred during court games and jogging, the data are insufficient to infer any increased relative risk during these activities. There was one nonfatal and one fatal event every 1,124,200 and 887,526 hours of participation, respectively. These data suggest a small acute risk of CVC in the general public during recreational activity.