After two UAE residents collapsed and died while playing sports within four days of each other, there’s a renewed focus on heart health and the dangers of undiagnosed cardiac conditions.
The incidents involving a 38-year-old cricketer in Dubai on June 14 and a 42-year-old badminton player in Ajman on June 17 have prompted doctors to urge people not to assume that an active lifestyle alone guarantees a healthy heart.
While doctors stress that every medical case is different and caution against linking any incident to a specific cause without medical findings, the two cases have raised an important question: Do people who seem healthy have hidden health problems?
According to cardiologists, the answer is yes. “Being young, slim, or physically active does not always mean the heart is healthy,” said Dr Harb Abubaraka, consultant interventional and non-invasive cardiology at Burjeel Hospital, Abu Dhabi.
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Doctors said that some people may have underlying heart conditions without knowing it. In some cases, symptoms remain unnoticed until a person undergoes testing or experiences a serious medical event during physical activity.
What is a ‘weekend athlete’?
Many UAE residents spend most of the week sitting at a desk and then take part in intense sports such as cricket, football, badminton or cycling on weekends.
Doctors often refer to them as weekend athletes or weekend warriors.
According to Dr Harb, sudden vigorous exercise can place significant stress on the body, especially when a person is not regularly conditioned for intense activity.
“This pattern can temporarily increase the risk of heart attack, dangerous heart rhythm disturbances and sudden cardiac arrest in people who already have underlying heart disease,” he said.
The risk may be higher among smokers and people with high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol or a family history of heart disease.
Heart attack or cardiac arrest: What’s the difference?
Many people use the two terms interchangeably, but doctors said that they are not the same.
A heart attack happens when blood flow to part of the heart is blocked, usually by a clot in a coronary artery. Symptoms can include chest pain, chest pressure, sweating, nausea, shortness of breath, or pain spreading to the arm, jaw, neck, or back.
During a heart attack, the heart usually continues beating.
Doctors said that sudden cardiac arrest occurs when the heart’s electrical system suddenly stops working properly. The person loses consciousness, stops responding and may stop breathing normally. Without immediate CPR and defibrillation, death can occur within minutes.
“A person can have a heart attack without cardiac arrest, cardiac arrest without a heart attack, or a heart attack that leads to cardiac arrest,” said Dr Harb.
Seven warning signs you should not ignore
Doctors said that active adults should pay attention to symptoms that may seem minor but could indicate an underlying problem.
Chest pain or pressure
Any chest discomfort during physical activity should be taken seriously, especially if it happens repeatedly.
Unusual shortness of breath
Feeling excessively breathless during exercise, especially when disproportionate to the effort involved, may be a warning sign.
Dizziness or fainting
According to doctors, unexplained dizziness, blackouts or fainting during exercise should never be ignored.
Palpitations
A racing, irregular or unusually forceful heartbeat may indicate an underlying heart rhythm problem.
Extreme fatigue after exercise
Feeling unusually exhausted after activity or taking much longer than normal to recover could indicate that the body is under strain.
Family history of heart disease
People with relatives who have suffered sudden cardiac death or serious heart conditions at a young age should be particularly cautious.
Assuming fitness means good health
Doctors said that the biggest mistake is believing that being active automatically means the heart is healthy.
“There are many clinical cardiac conditions that can be present in young patients,” said Dr Shipra Srivastava, consultant cardiothoracic surgeon at Aster Hospital, Al Qusais.
She said some people may have undiagnosed conditions such as hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM), abnormalities in the heart’s electrical system or coronary artery disease.
“There is a misconception that cardiac disease affects only older individuals,” she added.
Does the UAE summer increase the risk?
Doctors said that high temperatures and dehydration can make outdoor sports more challenging.
According to Dr Shipra, dehydration can lead to electrolyte imbalance, muscle cramps and disturbances in the body’s fluid balance. If not addressed, it can affect multiple organs.
Dr Harb added that heat and humidity force the cardiovascular system to work harder because the body is trying to exercise and regulate its temperature at the same time.
Doctors advised residents to stay hydrated, avoid exercising during peak heat hours and allow the body to gradually adapt to physical activity.
Should you get a health check before playing sport?
Doctors said that people of all ages planning to participate in intense physical activity should consider a medical evaluation.
Dr Shipra said many underlying conditions can be identified through basic screening and appropriate testing.
Dr Harb added that adults over 35, especially those with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking history or a family history of heart disease, should pay particular attention to their cardiovascular health.
Tests may include blood pressure checks, blood sugar testing, cholesterol screening, an ECG and, where necessary, exercise stress testing or further cardiac evaluation.
Doctors highlighted that the residents should not stop exercising out of fear.
Instead, they encourage regular physical activity throughout the week rather than sudden bursts of intense exercise on weekends, and take warning signs seriously and seek medical advice when needed.
“Most of the casualties during heavy and unacclimatised sports happen due to pre-existing and undiagnosed conditions,” said Dr Shipra. “To say that sports are the cause of fatality is not always true.”
Source: Khaleej Times