"Highlander" syndrome: the disease of over 40s nostalgic for youth

1) Department of Internal Medicine, Athena Villa dei Pini Clinic, Piedimonte Matese (CE);

It is called Highlander's syndrome, or of immortality, taking up the title of the famous film of the 80s that praised the deeds of an immortal. To suffer from it are several over 40s who maintain a strong tendency of competition, self-esteem and a feeling of well-being. It more easily affects the athletes who continue the activity after the youth competition, or who - after having stopped the sporting practice - resume it in old age, or sedentary who pretend to become athletes in mature or advanced age.

In individuals affected by this syndrome, both the conviction that physical exercise can preserve from any pathological state and the tendency to minimize previous or current symptoms and risk factors are created.In practice, it is the overestimation of one's physical and mental abilities that leads to this syndrome: often, in fact, subjects, whether they are sedentary or former professional or semi-professional athletes, return to sporting activity after a long period of inactivity or occasional physical activity, driven by the strong desire to return to a better physical performance or to equal sports performance expressed at a young age.
The physique of an over 40 cannot be compared to that of a twenty or thirty year old: however fit the former will never be able to compete with the latter. The advice of the scientists, addressed to highlanders, is therefore to give up first of all "contact" sports such as football and five-a-side football, and prefer individual disciplines such as swimming, running and cycling. In any case, sudden shots are to be categorically avoided. Such efforts, in fact, are almost always carried out in anaerobic conditions, that is, without oxygen consumption, and can cause sudden increases in pressure and the number of heartbeats, jeopardizing the health of the heart and blood vessels. It should also be borne in mind that it is always better to start a sport gradually and never suddenly. Similarly, it is essential to keep in mind that after a certain age muscles, tendons and joints need more recovery time.
Too often athletes are mistakenly convinced that exercise can protect against any disease, and have a tendency to minimize symptoms and risk factors of all kinds.

Too much, as in all things, spoils, and even if the "persistence" forced on youth sometimes proves to be an irresistible temptation, believing that physical effort gives an "extra opportunity, one must first of all be aware of one's limitations.

By Correspondence: Dr. Luigi Ferritto
Department of Internal Medicine
Respiratory Physiopathology Unit "Athena" Clinic Villa dei Pini
Piedimonte Matese (CE)
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