Acute chest pain after bench press exercise in a healthy young adult

Abstract

Bench press exercise, which involves repetitive lifting of weights to full arm extension while lying supine on a narrow bench, has been associated with complications ranging in acuity from simple pectoral muscle strain, to aortic and coronary artery dissection. A 39-year-old man, physically fit and previously asymptomatic, presented with acute chest pain following bench press exercise. Diagnostic evaluation led to the discovery of critical multivessel coronary occlusive disease, and subsequently, highly elevated levels of lipoprotein (a). Judicious use of ancillary testing may identify the presence of "high-risk" conditions in a seemingly "low-risk" patient. Emergency department evaluation of the young adult with acute chest pain must take into consideration an extended spectrum of potential etiologies, so as to best guide appropriate management.

Keywords: chest pain; coronary artery disease; lipoprotein (a).

Figure 1

Electrocardiogram showing normal sinus rhythm and occasional premature ventricular complexes, right bundle branch block, and ST-segment depressions of 0.5–1 mm in leads V4–V6.

Figure 2

Cardiac catheterization, right anterior oblique projection with 25 degrees of caudal angulation; showing 100% left anterior descending occlusion, 90% occlusion of the circumflex, and 95% occlusion of the obtuse marginals 1 and 2.