A middle-aged Kaohsiung man dropped dead after a marathon mahjong session with friends on Sunday.
The 52-year-old man, surnamed Wu (吳), was rushed to the emergency room of Kaohsiung Municipal Hsiaokang Hospital around 10pm on Sunday after he suddenly collapsed after a 10-hour mahjong game with friends at his home.
Liu Ching-kuan (劉景寬), head of the hospital, told reporters yesterday that Wu, who had a history of heart disease, died of myocardial infarction.
Liu said Wu had played mahjong, drunk alcohol and smoked consecutively for 10 hours.
“He stayed up late and was sitting all day playing mahjong. He also ate nonstop and had a lot of sweets. This all put him at risk [of a heart attack],” Liu said.
Wu’s death still came as a surprise to his neighbors.
“I was told today that he died and I was so shocked,” one neighbor told reporters.
Liu advised mahjong lovers to take a rest every two to three hours when playing, adding that staying up late while having greasy food during the holiday season might be risky for people suffering from cardiovascular disease.
Chien Wen-jen (簡文仁), director of the National Federation of Associations of Physical Therapists advised people who prefer spending the Lunar New Year holidays playing on-line games or watching TV to exercise every two hours.
“People behind the wheel for out-of-town family travel should also remember not to stay in one driving position for too long to avoid joint pains,” he said.
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