Cardiac pathology and sports medicine

Participation in sports has been a major pastime for Americans in the last decade; however, it has now become an obsession. Obviously there are many possible causes for this craze or "craving" for exercise. At least in part this popularization and commercialization of the beneficial effects of exercise are because of perceived health benefits. 1 To date no definitive study has shown that regular exercise prevents coronary heart disease. Nevertheless, there is a growing body of evidence from epidemiologic studies suggesting that regular exercise may help to prevent coronary hear t disease and reduce the incidence o f sudden death. 2-7 However, even the most faithful proponents of exercise admit that there are still uncertainties about the effect of exercise in altering the course of the disease in patients with known coronary heart disease and that myocardial ischemia, cardiac arrhythmias, and sudden death have been reported to occur more f requent ly dur ing vigorous exercise. l,s,9 Probably the overall effect of habitual exercise is beneficial.