Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Cardiac adverse effects and acute exercise in elderly subjects

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Aging Clinical and Experimental Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Cardiac arrhythmias, ST segment depressions and other cardiac adverse effects are occasionally seen in relation to physical exercise in elderly people. However, the magnitude, quality, and time-dependence of these events need to be clarified. During voluntary maximal cycle ergometer exercise (CEE), immediate cardiac disturbances as a reason for exercise termination were registered in a sample of 75-year-old men and women (N=203) (population group, PG). Any referrals to hospital following cardiac incidents within 24 hours post-CEE were obtained from patient records. Ambulatory ECG was recorded 24 hours before and after CEE in 23 elderly subjects (12 men, 11 women) capable of maximal effort (Holter group, HG). In the PG, 23.4% of the men and 6.4% of the women had to terminate CEE because of cardiac disturbances. One subject was referred to hospital because of exercise-induced atrial fibrillation. In the HG, no long-lasting effect of exercise on the occurrence of cardiac disturbances was found in elderly subjects capable of maximal effort.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Fleg J.L., Kennedy H.L.: Cardiac arrhythmias in healthy elderly population. Detection by 24-hour ambulatory electrocardiography. Chest 81: 302–307, 1982.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Garcia A., Valdes M., Sanches V., Soria F., Hernandez A., Vicente T., Perez F., Rodriguez P.: Cardiac rhythm in healthy elderly subjects. Clin. Invest. 70: 130–135, 1992.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Ribera J.M., Cruz J.A., Zamorano J.L., Perez-Casar F.: Cardiac rate and hyperkinetic rhythm disorders in healthy elderly subjects: evaluation by ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring. Gerontology 35: 158–164, 1989.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Fleg J.L., Kennedy H.L.: Long-term prognostic significance of ambulatory electrocardiografic findings in apparently healthy subjects ≥60 years of age. Am. J. Cardiol. 70: 748–751, 1992.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Hedblad B., Juul-Möller S., Svensson K., Hanson B.S., Isacsson S.O., Janzon L., Lindell S.E., Steen B., Johansson B.W.: Increased mortality in men with ST segment depression during 24 hour ambulatory long-term ECG recording: results from prospective population study men born 1914 from Malmö, Sweden. Eur. Heart J. 10: 149–158, 1989.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Hort W., Strunk W., Eckner F.A.O., Kirschner P.: Patologischanatomische befunde beim plötzlischen herztod. Z. Kardiol. 78: 619–632, 1989.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Busby M.J., Shefrin E.A., Fleg J.L.: Prevalence and long-term significance of exercise-induced frequent or repetitive ventricular ectopic beats in apparently healthy volunteers. J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. 14: 1659–1665, 1989.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Mayuga R., Arrington C.T., O’Connor F.C., Fleg J.L.: Why do exercise-induced ventricular arrhythmias increase with age? Role of M-mode echocardiographic aging studies. J. Gerontol. 51: M23–M28, 1996.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Gibbons L., Blair S.N., Kohl H.W., Cooper K.: The safety of maximal exercise testing. Circulation 80: 846–852, 1989.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Willich S.N., Lewis M., Löwel H., Arntz H-R., Schubert F., Schröder R.: Physical exertion as a trigger of acute myocardial infarction. N. Engl. J. Med. 329: 1684–1690, 1993.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Siscovick D.S., Weiss N.S., Flecher R.H., Lasky T.: The incidence of primary cardiac arrest during vigorous exercise. N. Engl. J. Med. 311: 874–877, 1984.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Kennedy H.L., Caralis D.G., Khan M.A., Poblete P.F., Pescarmona J.E.: Ventricular arrhythmia 24 hours before and after maximal treadmill testing. Am. Heart J. 94: 718–724, 1977.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Heikkinen E.: Functional capacity and health of elderly people. The evergreen project. Background, design and methods of the project. Scand. J. Soc. Med. Suppl. 53: 1–18, 1997.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Grimby G.: Physical activity and muscle training in the elderly. Acta Med. Scand. Suppl. 711: 233–237, 1986.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Kallinen M., Suominen H., Vuolteenaho O., Alen M.: Effort tolerance in elderly women with different physical activity backgrounds. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 30: 170–176, 1998.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Rantanen T., Era P., Heikkinen E.: Maximal isometric knee extension strength and stair-mounting ability in 75- and 80-yearold men and women. Scand. J. Rehabil. Med. 28: 89–93, 1994.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Fleg J.L., O’Connor F., Gerstenblith G., Becker L.C., Clulow J., Schulman S.P., Lakatta E.G.: Impact of age on the cardiovascular response to dynamic upright exercise in healthy men and women. J. Appl. Physiol. 78: 890–900, 1995.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Hollenberg M., Ngo L.H., Turner D., Tager I.B.: Treadmill exercise testing in an epidemiologic study of elderly subjects. J. Gerontol. 53A: B259–B267, 1998.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Fleg J.L., Lakatta E.G.: Prevalence and prognosis of exerciseinduced nonsustained ventricular tachycardia in apparently healthy volunteers. Am. J. Cardiol. 54: 762–764, 1984.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Shephard R.J.: Ischemic heart disease. In: Shephard R.J. (Ed.), Aging, physical activity, and health. Human Kinetics, Champaign, IL, 1997, pp. 201–214.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Peurunka-Medical Rehabilitation and Physical Exercise Center, Laukaa, Finland

    M. Kallinen

  2. Metitur Limited, Jyväskylä, Finland

    P. Era

  3. Finnish Center for Interdisciplinary Gerontology, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland

    E. Heikkinen

Authors
  1. M. Kallinen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. P. Era
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. E. Heikkinen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. Kallinen.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kallinen, M., Era, P. & Heikkinen, E. Cardiac adverse effects and acute exercise in elderly subjects. Aging Clin Exp Res 12, 287–294 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03339849

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03339849

Key words

Search

Navigation