Gym fanatic, 37, suffered cardiac arrest after a workout and ‘died’ for seven minutes… as the number of ‘super fit’ slim young heart attack victims rises

A super-fit sports fanatic who ‘died’ for seven minutes has told how he is lucky to be alive, amid an alarming rise in cardiac arrests among slim young people.

Dale Bilson, from Castle Donington in Leicestershire, started feeling tight in his chest after going to his wife’s gym class in August.

After his chest pain worsened, forcing him to leave class, he rushed to the emergency room to be examined.

But just minutes after arriving, the marketing boss, who had no previous heart-related problems, went into cardiac arrest in the waiting room and was given CPR.

Doctors had to shock his heart three times to revive him, technically stopping his heart for seven minutes.

Dale Bilson, from Castle Donington in Leicestershire, started feeling tight in his chest after going to his wife’s gym class in August. In the photo Mr Bilson with his wife Sophie

After his chest pain worsened, forcing him to leave class, he rushed to the emergency room to be examined. In the photo Mr Bilson with daughter Margot

Mr Bilson underwent emergency surgery to have a stent placed.

It comes as data has shown that rates of cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks, coronary heart disease and stroke, are increasing among younger, fit and active adults.

A number of factors are thought to be involved, including drug use, obesity, sedentary lifestyle and poor diet.

But the timing strongly implies that the Covid pandemic played a role.

The virus itself causes widespread inflammation in the body that can damage the heart or lead to blood clots.

Depression, anxiety and stress also increased among young people during lockdowns – and all three have been linked to heart attacks.

Recalling his terrifying ordeal, he said: ‘My wife convinced me to take an early morning HIIT class at our local gym. We started the warm-up and I felt more tired than usual.

‘I managed to do a series of circuits with burpees and squat thrusts and my wife looked at me and said, “You’ve already stopped, I thought you were fitter than this”.

‘At the start of the second circuit I thought this didn’t feel good at all. I felt like I needed some fresh air and removed myself from the environment.

‘My chest started to feel a bit tight, which developed into a bit of pain.

“As a guy, I thought I was already a pussy when I left class, so if I leave it for five minutes the pain will go away.”

After the shortness of breath did not subside after 15 minutes, his wife Sophie took him to the local hospital.

But two minutes later he went into cardiac arrest.

Mr Bilson added: ‘They started CPR and put me on a machine that mechanically does CPR, which makes your heart start beating.

But just minutes after arriving, the marketing boss, who had no previous heart-related problems, went into cardiac arrest in the waiting room and was given CPR.

Doctors had to shock his heart three times to revive him, technically stopping his heart for seven minutes.

‘They tried to get my heart going on my own, but apparently that didn’t work the first two times. They said I had no heartbeat for seven or eight minutes.

‘Apparently the chance that you will not be resuscitated increases enormously if it takes longer than nine minutes. Soph was told to call everyone to come see me and say goodbye.’

Medics determined that Mr Bilson’s cardiovascular emergency was caused by blockages in three arteries in his heart.

Without CPR, cardiac arrests can be fatal within minutes.

Because the heart stops and all signs of life cease, it is considered a form of death, but not in the legal sense as it can be reversed by restarting the heart.

This is done via CPR or a shock from a defibrillator, but neither method guarantees survival.

Mr Bilson, who regularly plays rugby and football and goes to the gym, said: “At my age, that was pretty much unheard of.

‘Family history plays a big role and we think stress has had an impact. Almost every doctor I’ve talked to has told me how young I am.

Doctors determined that Mr. Bilson’s cardiovascular emergency was caused by blockages in three arteries in his heart

While some warning signs are easy to spot, such as severe chest pain, others are vaguer and harder to pinpoint

“The doctors told me the stars aligned.

‘If I hadn’t been in the gym with my wife, she wouldn’t have been able to drive me and I could have gone into cardiac arrest on the way.

“So many different things have gone in my favor.

‘It dawned on me that my daughter could have gone to her first day of school without a father and that my wife Sophie would have been widowed at 28.

‘I would tell people to always check their family history and if you are concerned, get checked out by the doctor.

‘And if you are in a situation where you think you are having a heart attack, call 999.’

Earlier this year, alarming data showed that premature deaths from cardiovascular problems, such as heart attacks and strokes, had reached the highest level in more than a decade.

NHS data shows that the number of younger adults suffering a heart attack has increased over the past decade. The largest increase (95 percent) was recorded in the 25-29 age group, although because the number of patients is low, even small peaks can look dramatic

MailOnline has previously highlighted how the number of young people under 40 in England being treated for heart attacks by the NHS is increasing.

Rates of heart attacks, heart failure and strokes among those under 75 had fallen since the 1960s thanks to plummeting smoking rates, advanced surgical techniques and breakthroughs such as stents and statins.

But rising obesity rates and the associated catalog of associated health problems such as high blood pressure and diabetes are now thought to be one of the main contributing factors.

Slow ambulance response times for Category 2 calls in England – including suspected heart attacks and strokes – and long waits for tests and treatment have also been blamed.

Despite claims from anti-vaxxers, cardiologists say fears that Covid vaccines could have fueled a rise in heart problems are far from the truth.