Physical exercise and cardiac death due to pneumonia in male teenagers [Iznenadna smrt zbog upalće pluća za vrijeme tjelovježbe u trojice mladića]

From 1998 to 2008 we noticed 3 cardiac deaths in male teenagers aged 18-19 during or after physical exercise. The first was working at the site recreatively, the second was engaged in soccer recreatively and the third was professional soccer player. One felt general tiredness and was exhausted of a heavily physical effort, the other after physical exercise became septic and the third was without symptoms. One died suddenly during physical exercise at the field and two died in the hospital. At the forensic autopsy the first had bilateral bacterial pneumonia, possible high-altitude non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema and cerebral edema. The second had bilateral bacterial pneumonia, adult respiratory distress syndrome, disseminated intravascular coagulation, suprarenal bleeding, cerebral edema, hypoplastic right coronary artery and myocardial fibrosis. The third had bilateral bacterial pneumonia, fibrinous pericarditis, cerebral contusion with edema, thickenning of the left ventricle 20 mm and hypoplastic ascending aorta. In Croatia the death rate among athletes reached 0.15/ 100,000, in athletes suffered of acute pneumonia 0.28/ 100,000, in others who practice exercise recreatively 0.57/ 100,000 (p = 0.0068), in all males who practice exercise recreatively 0.75/ 100,000 (p = 0.0014). Physical exercise is contraindicated in acute respiratory tract infections. Every such case has to be treated by physician. When to start with physical training after bacterial pneumonia depends on disappearing of clinical and X-ray signs of pneumonia, normalization of erythrocite sedimentation rate and of white cell count

A physical exercise and quality of life

Physiological aging of the human organism begins with the onset of the 4th decade of life. The article presents some changes in the organism during the so-called primary aging, as well as those occurring due to secondary aging with diseases in the background. The most frequent diseases in the so-called elderly people are cardio-metabolic X syndrome, consisting of obesity, diabetes or glucose intolerance, with the occurring insulin resistance, hyperliporoteinemia: hyperglyceridemia with low HDL and elevated LDL cholesterol, arterial hypertension, hyperfibrinogenemia and high C-reactive protein concentration in the serum. Along with preventive measures and treatment of these diseases, physical exercise has a prominent place. In the so-called elderly persons it should be regular and frequent: at least 2–3 times a week, although it would be best every day, with adequate intensity: usually moderate and/or modified according to the criteria of physiological age and the degree of health or illness, lasting for at least 15 minutes. Physical exercise in the elderly should be adjusted to age, gender, health and functional capacities, taking into account previous experience with physical exercise or sports activities. Special attention should be paid to physical exercises in elderly persons who have not practiced thempreviously, but want to do it. Priority should be given to activities stimulating functional improvement of the heart function, blood flow, and breathing – general endurance exercises that activate at least 1/7 of all skeletal muscles, about 50 % of possible blood flow, and which last at least 5 minutes. It would be best to perform them daily. Measuring of quality of life due to aging could be expressed by parameters of physical fitness by assessing walking, somatic symptoms and mental state

Does Chronological Age Reduce Working Ability?

Definitions of so-called older age often are based on a chronological age of 65 years and over, although by some authors aging is the process that starts after the 30th year of life. At the beginning occur changes in the organ functions, followed by anatomical changes as well. Some organs age faster, some slower. For example, kidneys decrease for one third, lungs do not change, liver shrinks a little, prostate increases twice. In some cross-sectional studies, muscle mass in men aged 65 is on average 12 kg less than in the so-called middle age, and in women it is approximately 5 kg less. In the heart the amount of connective tissue increases, lipofuscin is deposited in cardiac muscle, the strength of which is decreasing. In the respiratory tract the number of pathways cilia decreases, along with the alveolar surface, muscles involved in breathing change, lung elasticity is also diminished. But, in regard with the previous body capacity, »physiological aging « can be divided into three types of elderly: the »older« elderly have the highest functional capacity of 2–3 MET (MET – metabolic unit, i.e. the oxygen consumption of 3.5 ml/kg body mass in a minute), the »younger« elderly are the persons of older age having maximal functional capacity of 5–7 MET, while the »sport« elderly have the functional capacity of 9–10 MET, disregarding chronological age. The brain weight diminishes for approximately 7% compared to younger age. In temporal gyrus and area striata even 20–40% of cells are being lost, vacuolar and neuroaxonal degeneration occurs, lipofuscin is being accumulated. The brain blood flow, which is in normal conditions 50–60 ml/ min/100 g of tissue, with the increase of biological age decreases to about 40 ml/min/100 g of tissue. However, this usually is not the consequence of biological age but of disease. A chronological age of 65 for the beginning of »elder hood« is a sociopolitical construct developed by social security systems and government organizations to decide an arbitrary age at which benefits should be paid. Thus, it neither a border nor do changes designating old age occurs exactly with that »age border«. The changes in the organism during the so-called aging are individual. So, the functional capacity of an organism, both physical and intellectual, must be evaluated individually, having in mind biological age

Suppurative Tonsillitis and Sudden Cardiac Death Due to Physical Training in a Young Soccer Player

A teenager aged 17 was a professional soccer player, and was without symptoms. He died suddenly during physical exercise at the field. All reanimation efforts were unsuccessfull. At the forensic autopsy he had suppurative bacterial tonsillitis, subacute diffuse myopericarditis and narrowing of the ascending aorta of 10 mm. In Croatia the death rate among athletes reached 0,15/100 000, in athletes suffered of acute respiratory tract infections 0,34/100 000, in males who practice exercise recreatively 0,75/100 000 (p=0.0014), in school children 1,0/100 000 (p=0.0010). Physical exercise is contraindicated in acute respiratory tract infections. Every such case has to be treated by physician. When to start with physical training after suppurative-bacterial tonsillitis depends on disappearing of clinical signs, normalization of erythrocite sedimentation rate; of white cell count and serum level of C-reactive protein. Physical exercise is contraindicated in patients suffering of myopericarditis for at least 6 months. When to start exercise depends on disappearing of subjective symptoms and normalization of clinical and laboratory findings

The Early Prevention of Metabolic Syndrome by Physical Exercise

The article deals with physical exercise in the early prevention of metabolic syndrome, which is one of the most frequent diseases today. Sedentary life style of modern man, surrounded by sophisticated technological achievements, supersedes the time spent in motion in all age groups, from the earliest childhood. The growing number of well substantiated studies has yielded results connecting such kind of life with greater incidence of many chronic diseases and low functional capability of an organism. Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a complex process and one of the most important groups of diseases, presenting a major health problem in developing countries. MS is an increasing risk for coronary heart disease, stroke and peripheral angiopathy. MS comprises overweight and abdominal (intraperitoneal) apple shape obesity, insulin resistance or glucose intolerance (type 2 diabetes mellitus – some persons are genetically predisposed to insulin resistance), hypertriglyceridemia with low HDL and high LDL cholesterol, accompanied by arterial hypertension. The prevention of metabolic syndrome should start as early as possible. Regarding physical activity, the period of childhood and adolescence is very important from the aspects of public health. However, intervention exercise programs should not be limited to younger age groups, but must encompass all age groups within population

Taksonomičeskij analiz morfologičeskih harakteristiki junyh sportsmenov SR Horvati

U prostoru morfoloških antropometrijskih karakteristika utvrđena je distribucija u uzorku od 169 mladih perspektiva sportaša SR Hrvatske, primjenom taksonomske analize bazirane na faktorskom modelu (Szirovicza i sur., 1977). Interpretacija morfoloških taksonomskih varijabli učinjena prema matrici korelacije orthoblique i taksonomskih varijabli. Prva taksonomska varijabla karakteriizirana je izrazitim volumenom i masom tijela, izrazitim potkožnimm masnim tkivom i različitom dimenzionalnošću skeleta. Druga taksonomska vairijabla karakterizirana je malim volumenom i masom tijela i različitom dimenzionalnošću skeleta. Druga taksonomska varijabla karakterizirana je malim volumenom i masom tijela, izrazito gracilnom skeletnom građom tijela i različitošću u količini potkožnog masnog tkiva. Treća taksonomska varijabla krakterizirana je manjim volumenom i masom tijela, prosječnom dimenzionalnošću skeleta i izraženom balastnom masom tijela. Dobiveni rezultati dopuštaju generalizaciju samo na populaciju iz koje je uzorak izvučen, specifičnu obzirom na dob, spol i ranije definirane utjecaje vanjskih faktora okoline, prije svega fizičke aktivnosti.In the space of morphological anthropometric characteristics we determined the distribution of participants in the sample of 169 young perspective in sportists in Croatia. The taxonomic analysis based on the factors model (Szirovicza et al., 1977) was applied. The interpretation if the morphological taxonomic variables was arrived at according to the matrix of correlation of the orthoblique and taxonomic variables. The first taxonomic variables was characterized by the the expressive volume and body mass, substantial subcutaneous fat and dimensionality of skeleton. The second taxonomic variable was, on the other hand, characterized by small volume and body mass, graceful skeletal build and variables subcutaneous fat. The characteristics of the third taxonomic variable were the smaller volume and body mass, average dimensions of skeleton and greater ballast mass of the body. The results allow a generalization only within the population from which sample was taken, being specific with regard to age, sex and the earlier defined effects of external factors, i. e. environment and above all physical activity

The Role of Physical Activity and Exercise in the Prevention of Chronic Diseases

U članku su prikazane spoznaje o važnosti tjelesnog vježbanja u prevenciji kroničnih nezaraznih bolesti. Prikazani su biološki mehanizmi kojima redovita tjelesna aktivnost pridonosi prevenciji razvoja nekih kroničnih bolesti. Dane su temeljne preporuke o vrsti aktivnosti, njezinoj učestalosti, trajanju i intenzitetu.The article presents the role of regular physical activity in the prevention of some chronic diseases. Biological mechanisms through which physical activity and exercise are acting in the prevention of some chronic diseases are shown. The basic recommendations regarding the type of the activity, its frequency, duration and intensity are presented