About to play some vigorous hockey? Don't ignore heart attack warning signs

Physically fit people who don't haverisk factors like diabetes or high blood pressureshouldn't worry too much about vigorous activity causing a heart attack butless active people should think twice before jumping in, says emergency physician Dr.BlairBigham.

"If you exercise every day, if you're a relatively fit person, maybe you cycle to work or swim at the pool every morning, vigorous exercise probably isn't going to cause a heart attack all of a sudden with no warning signs," said Bigham on CBC Radio's Metro Morning.

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"If you're someone who is a little less active you very well could have a sudden onset of chest pains that could be a heart attack."

The safety of vigorous sports is back in the news after Canadian actor Alan Thicke died of a heart attack at age 69 while playing hockey with his son in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

Research from the Windsor Cardiac Centre presented in 2013 showed that hockey players between 40 and 60 were at increasing risk of heart attack especially if they were mostly sedentary the rest of the week.

Bigham said one in ten of the heart attacks he sees are caused by vigorous activity.

'Is hockey safe?'

For John Temple, Thicke's death echoes his own family tragedy.

His brother Mike died while playing hockey this past October. He was just 49 years old.

"It was the third period, and he was away from play. As he looked over his shoulder, he fell," said Temple on Metro Morning.

One of the players tried to revive Mike with a defibrillator, but his heartbeat didn't return.

"It was a huge shock," said Temple, adding he looked like a "healthy person." He said his brother hadn't been playing as much hockey as he normally did in the period leading up to his death.

"We started to reflect [as a family]: is hockey safe?" said Temple. He himself has come back to hockey, despite what happened to his brother.

"It took me a bit of courage to step back on the ice. But I continue to return to the rink," he said.

Watch for the warning signs

Bigham said people need to keep an eye on their body as they get older, especially if they occasionally engage in vigorous activity like hockey.

In about half of all heart attacks, he said, the body sends out warning signs before the attack.

"A nagging chest pain, or even a bit of chest pressure, or if you get sweaty with activity, or short of breath when climbing the stairs, those are all signs your heart might be at its maximum when you're exerting yourself," he said.

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Safety at rinks has improved with the installation of defibrillators, he explained,which can be used by whoever is around before emergency services are able to arrive.

Bigham's advice for older people is to stay active in a way they can build on, suggesting that a 30-minute daily walk is a good place to start if you're fairly sedentary.

"I think it's good that everyone maintain a level of physical fitness. But as we age, risk factors for heart disease add up," he said.