Puneeth Rajkumar’s doctor recalls his ECG showing ‘strain’: ‘He did kickboxing for one and a half hours’

“I was in the clinic, and Appu came. He came full of sweat. He told me I went to the gym and came just now. He did kickboxing for one and a half hours. It was the only new thing that he had. (He said) I am feeling a bit tired, doctor; I’ll stay.”

DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. Always consult your health practitioner before starting any routine.

However, the unusually profuse sweating and tiredness immediately alarmed the cardiologist: “I know when I have to look for more– whether patient complaints or not”, and so he did.

“Immediately we did an ECG, and that ECG showed a strain – not a heart attack,” the cardiologist highlighted the distinction, adding that he knew “something will happen” if no action is taken.

“Immediately I gave him the same medicines I gave to my father or what I would give to my son if he had the symptoms. Instantly we shifted him, in his own car, to the hospital.”

On the way to the hospital, the South Indian actor was conscious and even insisted on “sitting up.” However, when Dr Rao suggested he rest, the actor “listened” and rested his head on his wife’s lap.

The hospital team had been alerted and “all the arrangements” were being made. But the actor’s condition deteriorated before he could reach medical care.

“The minute he was near the hospital entrance, that’s what hospital people told me, his heart stopped beating. When he went into the hospital, his heart stopped beating,” Dr Rao painfully recalls.

Puneeth Rajkumar

The medical team tried to revive him, following the standard protocol, but Puneeth could not be saved.

“They tried their best, but unfortunately his heart could not be revived. That is one of the saddest events of my life. It was like losing a son,” Dr Rao said, adding that he still finds it difficult to express what he felt because he relives that moment every time.

Even years later, the memory remains painful. “You can never forget certain things. Appu is one of those examples where even though I want to do so much but God’s will is totally different,” Dr Rao said.

Notably, Puneet was a fitness enthusiast. His social media accounts are still accessible, with his last Instagram post being a teaser for his film Gandhada Gudi, marked 206 weeks ago.

Besides films, his grid also offers plenty of glimpses from his fitness side. In fact, in a 2019 video, he can be seen trying out something similar to kickboxing. However, it is unclear whether he followed the sport regularly or tried proper kickboxing earlier.

But could trying an intense sport like kickboxing have triggered the cardiac emergency?

“Suddenly engaging in prolonged, high-intensity exercise without adequate conditioning can put considerable stress on the heart,” Punya Pratap Kujur, Consultant Cardiologist at Gleneagles Hospital, Parel, Mumbai, tells indianexpress.com.

The “intense physical exertion” can increase the heart’s demand for oxygen “and may trigger a serious cardiac event”, especially in someone with an underlying heart condition such as coronary artery disease or an abnormal heart rhythm.

However, the timing alone does not establish that kickboxing caused Puneeth’s cardiac emergency. Dr Vivek Tandon, Director and Head of Cardiology at ShardaCare – Healthcity, tells indianexpress.com that intense exercise may expose an existing heart problem in someone who is susceptible, but it does not necessarily cause cardiac damage in a healthy individual.

“It is important to distinguish between exercise being a possible trigger and it being the underlying cause,” the cardiologist clarifies. Thus, it cannot be said for sure that kickboxing led to the cardiac emergency.

“The patient’s ECG, medical history and other clinical investigations would be essential to establish what may have happened,” the cardiologist adds, stressing the importance of clinical investigation and the patient’s exact medical records.

Why can the heart stop despite an earlier ECG?

One of the most striking details in Dr Rao’s account is that Puneeth’s ECG reportedly showed a strain, rather than a heart attack.

An ECG records the heart’s electrical activity and can help doctors identify abnormalities that need further investigation. Which is why Dr Rao sprang into action after seeing Puneeth’s ECG.

“An ECG is one of the quickest and most important initial investigations when a person develops symptoms suggestive of a cardiac problem,” Dr Tandon tells indianexpress.com.

If a patient’s ECG is concerning, urgent medical assessment may be required. In serious cases,  further investigations, including cardiac troponin testing and repeat ECGs is done.

“Even a normal initial ECG does not completely rule out a serious cardiac event,” the cardiologist clarifies.

In fact, after an initial ECG, a person’s condition can deteriorate very quickly, — and completely stop the heart from pumping blood in severe cases — which is also what happened to Puneeth.

In medical terms, this is a typical ‘cardiac arrest’ defined as a condition in which the heart suddenly stops pumping blood effectively, often because of a dangerous electrical rhythm.

“A sudden cardiac arrest can occur when the heart develops a life-threatening electrical rhythm, such as ventricular fibrillation, or when a severe heart attack disrupts its pumping function,” Dr Kujur further explains.

“Survival depends on immediate recognition, CPR, when indicated, and advanced emergency care. The precise cause in this case cannot be established from the information provided,” the cardiologist clarifies.

Thus, without Puneeth’s complete medical records and investigation findings, it is not possible to determine precisely what caused his heart to stop or whether the kickboxing session played a role.

DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. Always consult your health practitioner before starting any routine.