Cardiac adverse effects and acute exercise in elderly subjects

Cardiac arrhythmias, ST segment depressions and other cardiac adverse effec ts 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 re gistered in a sample of 75-year-old men and women (N=203) (population group , PG). Any referrals to hospital following cardiac incidents within 24 hour s 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) cap able of maximal effort (Holter group, HG). In the PGI 23.4% of the men and 6.4% of the women had to terminate CEE because of cardiac disturbances. One subject teas referred to hospital because of exercise-induced atrial fibri llation. In the HG, no long-lasting effect of exercise on the occurrence of cardiac disturbances was found in elderly subjects capable of maximal effo rt. (Aging Clin. Exp. Res. 12: 287-294, 2000) (C) 2000. Editrice Kurtis.