I used to play video games when I was younger, mainly GoldenEye and Super Mario Kart. As an adult I've never really gotten into them, partly because I know I'd find them too addictive, and partly because modern games, if I'm honest, have a lot of jump scares… and that scare factor is intentional. It creates an adrenaline rush, triggering a fight or flight response that keeps the player focused and engaged. What's interesting is that this adrenaline surge may trigger cardiac events.
I recently spoke with a patient who told me they had experienced an arrythmia during a gaming session. It prompted me to look into the evidence. A 2022 systematic review identified 22 cases of children aged 7 to 16 who had suspected or proven ventricular arrhythmias during gaming. Ventricular arrhythmias are abnormal and dangerous heart rhythms originating in the lower chambers of the heart. Sadly, 27% of these children experienced a cardiac arrest and 18% died suddenly. In most cases, an underlying cardiac condition was either already known about or identified afterwards. The review concluded that electronic gaming can trigger lethal cardiac arrhythmias in susceptible children.
This isn't to say that gaming is inherently dangerous, but it is worth considering cardiac causes when children present with episodes of loss of consciousness during gaming, and being aware of the potential consequences of an adrenaline surge in anyone with an underlying heart condition.
You can read some case reports about the "Fortnite” phenomenon here.
In other news
I managed to tear my calf this week during a hockey game. By tear, I mean I quite literally snapped one of my leg tendons in two, as well as half of my calf muscle. I have learned two things from this experience. First, always warm up properly. Second, using crutches is considerably harder and much less fun than it looks.
👋 For the new joiners: I’m Suraj, also known as Dr Sooj - a primary care doctor & health content creator. I love navigating the complex world of health and wellness and breaking down complicated concepts.
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References:
Claire M. Lawley, Matthew Tester, Shubhayan Sanatani, Terence Prendiville, Cheyenne M. Beach, Jeffrey M. Vinocur, et al. Life-threatening cardiac arrhythmia and sudden death during electronic gaming: An international case series and systematic review, Heart Rhythm,Volume 19, Issue 11, 2022,Pages 1826-1833,ISSN 1547-5271, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrthm.2022.08.003.