In light of Clint's passing from a heart attack last week, I wanted to share a little information.

A heart attack is caused when am embolism (blood clot) becomes lodged in the coronary arteries reducing or stopping blood flow to the heart muscle. I'm sure most have heard the stories of people having heart attacks from clots after long flights, Sitting stationary for long periods is the root cause as a clot forms from decreased bloodflow from not moving.

Traveling long distances in the truck from the east coast to Michigan or vice versa, same as a long flight. So it is a good idea to stop every so often, get out and check the trailer bearings, take a piss, have a Chinese fire drill etc. to get the blood flowing.

Thank you Rob for letting us all know this very important information, I will be getting up more often and walking around.

This is not exactly correct.
Patients that are stationary for long periods of time (long flights, prolonged hospitalization, immobilization and ect) may result in lower extremity clots (DVT- Deep Venous Thrombosis). DVT becomes a primary risk for a Pulmonary Embolism (PE), NOT typically a heart attack.

Most patients that develop an myocardial ischemic (MI), occurs because the heart is deficient on adequate blood supply to the heart muscle. This terrible event could be do a "blood clot", but typically it is a result of pre-existing coronary disease ( CAD) combined with stress to the heart that results in inadequate blood supply. Obviously many risk factors are well known, including: obesity, diet, smoking, stress, anxiety, hypertension and pre-existing CAD.

I congratulate you for bringing some light to the awareness of MI, but some of your post is more relevant to PE, and needed additional clarification..

THank you. You do have many more years of education than I and a deeper knowledge base.

Doc you confuse the crap out of me sometimes. KW?

Historically these forums are focused on complex mechanics of engines, hulls, computers and drives. Rarely are they focused on medicine or health related issues of boating.
I did not initiate the thread, but to make this simple, accurate and relevant for your boating activities: Two unfortunate conditions that can be life threatening are from a Deep Venous Thrombosis ( DVT) resulting in a Pulmonary Embolism ( PE), and a Myocardial Infarction ( MI)

DVT is an accumulation of static blood in the deep veins of the legs, (this can be associated with prolonged inactivity, and decrease compression of the lower leg muscles). When these clots are detected they are typically treated with blood thinning medication, but prevention is the key. Veins have very thin inside walls, clots can develop and dislodge, thus floating to the first stage of the heart (via the vena cava). From there, the deoxygenated blood (low 02 concentration) from the veins , travels directly to the lungs. These lower extremity blood leg clots can get trapped into the small lung tissue and result in acute difficulty in breathing, (Pulmonary Embolism).
DVT clots cannot typically make it to the arteries supplying of the heart muscle. The arteries that supply the heart muscle must have high oxygen content,( from the second stage of the heart) so those clots are not typically able to make it though the microvascular network in the lungs and return to the second stage of the heart from the Pulmonary vein.

The primary causes of an MI, is increased stress to the heart muscle with inadequate oxygenation. This can occur with pre-existing coronary vascular disease ( CAD), smoking, genetics, family history, diet, dehydration, hypertension, stress and a dozen other reasons.

Mark, the take away message is that racers should consider getting a detailed medical physical before you participate in any professional/recreational sport activity. Often we all guilty of being in hurry to get the forms filled out, for boat racing registration, and wait until the last moment. Boat racing, can very stressful to your organ systems, especially in a small confined area, with limited ventilation and extreme heat. The mental/physical stress of racing combined with dehydration, sleep deprivation, smoking before an event, and other co-morbidities can be a formula for multiple organ stress (or an MI). The pre-race day physicals that we are required to attend are to simply a screen for coordination, residual alcohol, hypertension and basic changes in your baseline medical condition. Unfortunately, is not possible to assess all the pre-existing comorbidities for the race team the day of the event. Get a complete medical assessment before the next racing season, .... be safe in Clearwater.

Thanks for all of the info Doc.

I checked myself into the ER this year as I had what I thought to be symptoms of a heart attack. Fortunately I checked out ok at the ER and followed up with a Stress Test in which my Dr came back with odd results. She stated that while during a Stress Test patients numbers typically go in one direction while the heart is under load that my results showed my numbers went in the opposite direction... That my heart was performing best while I was under load. So I asked what she was suggesting, that I would die in my sleep ? At least that made me feel pretty good about my heart itself, but your information here is giving me a good eye opener. Having to sit in front of a computer hours and hours on end to work on my photography and video, and at times have been to events where my legs were sore or swollen tells me i need to get out and walk more. 1 day I was shooting a Motocross event for over 12 hours on the beach. I ended up at the doctors office the next day the pain was so bad and my legs were so swollen. It was contributed to the high salt content of food that day and lack of enough water throughout the day causing me to be dehydrated. I literally had to stop driving home and try to walk out the pain.
So I am taking your advice and start taking breaks while at the computer. Long drives I typically will stop every 2 hours to get out and walk a bit. It's all great advice and I THANK YOU !!!

Thanks everyone for the information, awareness is the key and you are all making us read and learn important factors to heart disease.