Karate and Heart Attacks: Connection??

[ps1]

Heart disease is, and has been, a leading cause of death worldwide. You can't beat the statistics. The combination of diet, genetics, living conditions, medical availability, and stress (among other things) all contribute to the various forms of heart disease.

You can't just lump all heart attacks together. A heart attack can occur for any number of reasons. Even the stress of being sick for another reason can lead to a heart attack.

Bottom line: It has nothing to do with karate.

[AlwaysInTraining]

In that case guys i do stand corrected and take back what i said.

[Traymond]

Hmmm I smoke quite often, and I can say that it does not effect my training, but I also work out quite rigorously so that I can hopefully negate the effects of the smoking, hehe...but it started when I was younger, damn peer pressure, but anyways.

I eat healthy, and I am under alot of stress, but I do not have any problems with my heart. I eat authentic Asian foods all the time and I have no problems...

[bushido_man96]

As you mention this, I had noticed that there seemed to be several masters that had died from some kind of cancer; Bong Soo Hon, Gen. Choi (I think), and H.U. Lee of the ATA. It just seems odd that people who spend their lives in healthy activities end up dying this way.

I think you just chalk it up to coincidence.

[Traymond]

JUst though I should add this about lung cancer, just because it sounds so freaky.

In February 2004 Jim Fung was diagnosed with an already advanced case of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. A rare form of throat cancer, it is 100 times more prevalent in people from South East China and Hong Kong. Yip Man, his Sigung, also died of throat cancer.

His overseas training visits to Tsui Seung Tin, daily training regimen and teaching continued during treatment, his condition unbeknownst by his students . He continued up until days before passing away March 18th, 2007, aged 62.

A donor to cancer research himself, a memorial fund was established with proceeds going to the Queensland Institute of Medical Research and the Oncology Department of St Vincent's Hospital.

[Fish]

The original post suggested these people died relatively young in their 70s. But bear in mind that modern life expectancies of 80 plus were not typical in previous generations where e.g. labour conditions may have been harder and medicine was less advanced. I wonder whether these people died at average life expectancy for their time, or exceeded it.