Risk factors for fainting

Risk factors for fainting/unconsciousness:

1. Congestive heart failure: The heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body requirements, hence lead to fainting. Symptoms: breathing difficulty and swelling in both legs.
- not applicable because Han did not have any breathing difficulty before he fell on the ground.
2. Dehydration: Insufficient amount of water in the body making the body unable to function properly. Symptoms: dry mouth, faintness, dry skin, thirst, nausea and weakness.
- Han may not be drinking at all during the whole match, leading to dehydration that caused him to faint.
3. Extreme heat exposure – not applicable. It was a cool and breezy day.
4. Hx of cardiac arrhythmias, coronary artery disease or stroke (TIA)
5. Previous fainting episodes
6. Stressful events – perhaps Han lost his bet on the match and become stressed.
7. Previous surgical procedures

Source: http://www.freemd.com/fainting/risk-factors.htm

Other conventional risk factors for CVD which may lead to fainting:

1. Hyperlipidaemia
2. Hypertension
3. Smoking – smokers have 2-4 times greater risk of heart attack than non-smokers.
4. Diabetes
5. FHx
6. Obesity (overweight)
7. Physical inactivity
8. Age and gender - >83% of people died from coronary heart disease are >65y.o. Males tend to 9. have greater risk of heart attack than women.

Sources:
Theme 4 Clinical Skills: Cardiovascular lecture notes.

American Heart Association: http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4726