[Acute myocardial infarction during sport]

Thirty patients with acute myocardial infarction which occurred during sport were investigated to identify the type of sport, prodromata, situations at the onset of disease, habit of exercise, preceding medical evaluation, coronary risk factors, and coronary angiographic findings. Infarction occurred during golf in 12 patients, bowling in 4, gateball in 4, jogging or running in 5, baseball in 2, and tennis or table tennis in 3. The majority of the patients were playing ball games. Twenty-seven patients were men (90%) and 3 were women (10%). All patients had played the same kind of sport for several years. Twenty-four patients had one or more coronary risk factors, and especially 18 patients smoked cigarettes. Nine patients had experienced anterior chest pain but only two patients had received medical evaluation. Coronary angiography was performed in 25 patients (83.3%), revealing single-vessel disease in 14, two-vessel disease in 6, three-vessel disease in 4, and disease of all left main coronary trunks in 1. The acute episode of infarction occurred mainly in spring or fall. Many patients with acute myocardial infarction occurring during sport participate in sports of low or moderate dynamic and low static exercises which are generally regarded safe. Many patients had enjoyed their sports regularly for a long time. Though many patients had coronary risk factors, only a few had received a medical check before their heart attack.