Sudden cardiac death during exercise

>> anyway - about to take my life in my own hands on the M4...

Truly a hazard without a cure! I feel for you

Except that someone with a heart defect is only a hazard to themselves and, IMHO, people have a right to risk their own lives if they want to.

Im not as sure about that

my sport is hockey played at a fairly high competitve level and i have played for over 30 years with as much passion and fervour as anyone who would rather die than give up running - but reflecting on what would i do with a diagnosis of "may be at risk from Sudden Cardiac Death during high intensity excercise"  - as much as I might be happy to drop dead doing the thing I love than give it up -it doesnt just affect me - it would affect my teammates, the players around me, match officials, spectators(some of whom are kids) the pitch staff, the people who would try and resuscitate me, the paramedics, A&E staff (let alone friends and family)  maybe they are part of the wider consideration ..?

and (to really play the Devils Advocate! ) if i was diagnosed with a potentially fatal abnormality and decide to risk it and play on - should i carry an advance Do Not attempt Resuscitation notice to spare all that distress and frankly not waste the Emergency services time when they could be saving someone else who didnt  have the luxury of that choice? 

>> -it doesnt just affect me - it would affect my teammates, the players around me, match officials, spectators(some of whom are kids) the pitch staff, the people who would try and resuscitate me, the paramedics, A&E staff (let alone friends and family) maybe they are part of the wider consideration ..?

There is a difference between seeing something upsetting and being put at risk. Are you saying that people should be prevented from doing anything that might lead to others being saddened or upset? Rubber rooms for everyone!

then again, in order to be employed by my current employer, i had to take a medical (which, incidently, included an ECG at rest and one during exercise).  if i had failed the medical, i wouldn't have been employed.  is this really any different to aspiring athletes who may be wanting to make a living out of sport from having to take a specific test to determine whether they are at risk of death when undertaking that activity?

and - as an aside - my job is sedentary but involves long hours and lots of travelling, hence the medical i assume.  and the fact that they didn't want to pay to employ me for me then to go off sick for months with some hitherto undiagnosed illness, i imagine!  or else for me to keel over and them have to pay death in service!