OT - for the deer hunters...

[rachael simpson]

Just a head's up for anyone interested....

Rae

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Deer hunting could be a dangerous endeavor for men with heart disease or risk factors for it, research findings suggest.

In a study of 25 middle-aged male deer hunters, researchers found that the activities inherent to hunting -- like walking over rough terrain, shooting an animal and dragging its carcass -- sent the men's heart rates up significantly.

In some cases, this led to potentially dangerous heart-rhythm disturbances, or diminished oxygen supply to the heart.

Of the 25 hunters, 17 had established coronary heart disease, while the rest had risk factors such as being overweight, smoking or having high blood pressure or cholesterol.

The findings suggest that for men like these, hunting could boost the risk of heart attack or cardiac arrest.

Susan Haapaniemi and colleagues at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oaks, Michigan, report the findings in the American Journal of Cardiology.

For the study, the researchers outfitted each man with a portable monitor that continuously recorded his heart's electrical activity during a day of deer hunting. For comparison, the men also had their hearts monitored as they exercised on a treadmill on a separate day.

In general, the researchers found, deer hunting put the men's hearts under more strain than the treadmill did. Ten men exceeded the maximum heart rate they logged on the treadmill, and several showed potentially dangerous heart responses to hunting that they did not show during the treadmill test.

Three men had signs of impeded blood flow to the heart during hunting, but not on the treadmill. Similarly, three of the men with heart disease had heart-rhythm abnormalities while hunting that did not show up on the treadmill test.

The combination of physical exertion, adrenaline rush and the stress of rough terrain and cold weather may explain the "excessive cardiac demands" seen with hunting, according to Haapaniemi's team.

What's more, they point out, most of the men in the study were taking part in an exercise program to treat their heart disease, or were regularly physically active. Hunting could be an even greater strain on the heart in men who are usually sedentary, the researchers note.

SOURCE: American Journal of Cardiology, July 15, 2007.

[Frank]

Nothing new to me. My heart gets a thumpin' whenever I have bambi in my sights ;) Frank

[Dave]

Have to agree this would be a problem for anyone out of shape. As would any other strenuous exercise similar to it. Some "honey do"s can do the same thing.

But, I've found just listening to your body signs is enough to know when to stop or slow down. But, I guess, that's just me. Dave

[Val]

There's about a dozen major triggers for heart attacks established by Harvard Medical School*. I figure this particular "in depth scientific study" was done by somebody who wanted to write off a free hunting trip all in the name of research. Having lived and hunted (deer, elk, bear, moose, cougar) in prime Montana/Idaho mountain country; these "twenty five subjects" sound like the big city desk jockies I saw who showed up in the fall to pay out a few grand for a week's worth of guided Daniel Boone fantasies to mount a dead animal on their wall to serve no other purpose than bragging rights.

*from HARVARD HEALTH PUBLICATIONS Harvard Medical School

Waking from sleep. Long before you wake up, your body prepares for a new day by trickling stress hormones into the bloodstream. They signal small blood vessels to constrict, make your heart beat faster, and begin boosting your blood pressure from its sleep-time low. This activity ensures adequate blood flow through your blood vessels by the time you are ready to get out of bed. It's no coincidence that cardiovascular problems peak between 6 a.m. and noon. The slight dehydration that occurs during sleep may contribute to this early morning peak, as may the overnight fade in protection from blood pressure drugs and other heart medicines.

Heavy physical exertion. Shoveling snow, lifting heavy objects, running, and other types of strenuous physical activity can trigger heart attacks, strokes, and cardiac arrests. Don't take this as a reason to stop exercising. In fact, the opposite is true - exertion is much less likely to cause trouble in people who exercise regularly than in those who don't.

Anger. A furious argument or gut-churning anger can provoke a heart attack, stroke, or cardiac arrest. In two large studies, a bout of anger increased the chances of having a heart attack between ninefold and 14-fold over a two-hour period following the anger-provoking event. A study presented at last year's American Heart Association meeting showed that anger often preceded shocks from implanted cardioverter-defibrillators, pacemaker-like devices used to halt potentially deadly, fast or chaotic heart rhythms.

Natural disasters and war. Heart attacks and cardiac arrests spiked abruptly on the day of the early-morning earthquake in Northridge, Calif., in 1994. Israeli researchers saw spikes in heart attacks during the first week of Iraqi missile attacks in 1991, while New Jersey researchers found a 49% increase in heart attacks within a 50-mile radius of the World Trade Center immediately after the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

Weather. Severe heat waves, such as the ones that struck Europe in 2003 or the Midwest in 1995, increase heart-related deaths. Cold weather triggers cardiovascular problems, too - in the United States, deaths from heart disease peak in December and January.

Air pollution. Breathing air full of tiny particles from car, bus, and truck tailpipes and fuel-burning factories or electricity generators is a trigger for heart attack and stroke.

Infections. Pneumonia, the flu, and upper respiratory infections are potent triggers for stroke and heart attack. Urinary tract infections have also been linked to strokes.

Sexual activity. Sexual activity briefly raises heart attack risk. Sex with a new partner in an unfamiliar setting increases the risk more than sex with a familiar partner in a familiar setting.

Overeating. A heavy meal, especially one that is chock-full of saturated fat or carbohydrates, can raise the risk of having a heart attack by temporarily making blood more likely to clot, interfering with blood vessels' ability to relax and contract, or increasing the heart rate and release of stress hormones.

Other triggers. These include grief, lack of sleep, mental and work-related stress, the use of cocaine and other "recreational" drugs, holidays, and sporting events (like the World Cup) if your team loses.

BTW, there have been many studies done that show that avid gardeners are healthier, both physically. emotionally and mentally than their non gardening counterparts. I take this to mean us gardening folk will live long and not be crazy, eccentric and a little quirky perhaps, but seldom certifiable. ;)

Val

[Eigenvector]

I can't see deer hunting being a particularly strenuous an activity. You have to haul the gear into the bush, but that's not all that much really - depends on the REAL reason for hunting. Some people take it more like a vacation, others see it as a day trip, others a need to get food to sustain themselves and their family. A guy hunting out of need isn't going to pack

100 lbs of gear and 2 half-racks of beer. Once you bag one you have to haul it back out - but deer's don't weigh that much and its not tough to rig up a travois or skid pan to aid you.

Now Elk hunting can get strenuous - just pulling it out.

[William Wagner]

.................

I hope so!

Bill

............ Serious deer hunting in S jersey USA usually involves hunting clubs. I was never in a club but know a bit about how it works. Young members are drivers that walk miles making noise towards the standards older folks not inclined to shoot anything that moves. I was a driver in 1964.

Of course there are folks that climb tree stands and just wait. Sounds easy but those folks have been known to fall asleep and break their necks even with a low pulse rate.

[MajorOz]

I usually get a young, dry doe around three or four hundred yards from the house. Then I come back, get the tractor and bring her back in the loader. As a young man in WY,CO, ID,WA, and MT, I used to run all over hell to get the winter's ration of deer, elk, and (best of all) antelope. Don't do that anymore.

cheers

oz, who always observed the prime directive in elk hunting: NEVER HUNT DOWNHILL

[Mel M Kelly]

Well just send the young and healthy hunters over here to Indiana. We have so many deer they should be able to get a dozen each and we would still have a bunch of car deer wrecks. Not to mention what the damb things eat.

From Mel & Donnie in Bluebird Valley

[rachael simpson]

Honestly, I just thought it was crazy that some would work themselves up so over deer hunting...

Although, my brother-in-law is one of them...

Rae