This is another article from the New York Times, special segement on Heart Disease from this last Sunday, April 8, 2007.

This story had to be a real "nightmare" scenario where a man went to a fitness club after suffering a heart attack at age 35! Yes 35. The client than proceeds to lose weight and improve his fitness level so much after going to the fitness facility that he "voluntarily" takes himself off his heart meds to "surprise" his doctor with his progress at the fitness club. Just before the man sees his doctor for his next checkup, he suffers another heart attack while working out at his fitness facility.

For those of you who work with or are thinking of working with clients with known coronary heart disease, this a sharp reminder for clients/patients to stay on their meds.

Story below:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/08/health/08heart.html

Finally, the New York Times article uses the term "Tombstone T-wave." The article below addresses what goes on inside the heart during a myocardial infarction or heart attack which can lead to a "Tombstone wave" or complete shutdown in the lower pumps or ventricles of the heart muscle itself. In paragraph 4, the article below uses the term tombstone R wave in place of the term tombstone T wave in the New York Times piece, but the end result is the same.

Story below:

http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/324/7341/831

The LESSON I took away from all of this is not only to remember to NOT ONLY to note all the medications the client is taking on the Initial Health Care Questionaire or Par-Q form but ALSO it would not be a bad idea to periodically ask the client if they are staying on their meds once the exercise program is commenced.