bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Tribune News Service

Scott Daley started feeling tingling sensations in his arm while playing football with his recreation team.
At first, he was not that worried about it. After all, as his wife, Brooke Daley, said, “He was always coming home injured from soccer.”
But when the tingling kept happening, Daley knew he should get it checked out because he was concerned it might have something to do with his heart.
He was 45 at the time and incredibly active. He regularly played football and worked out five days a week. As the vice-president of global footwear for Reebok, he took full advantage of the company’s robust fitness facilities in Boston.

Yet he also had a history of heart issues in his family, and the threat of developing his own had always lingered in his mind.
His father had a heart attack at the age of 40, which he survived thanks to an emergency triple bypass surgery. His uncle passed away from a heart attack in his 40s.
“I’ve been playing sports for such a long time, I knew the tingling wasn’t some run-of-the-mill cramp or pulled muscle,” he said.
“I’d always been aware that there was a very real possibility that I’d have my own heart issue someday, and that sometimes hereditary issues can override everything else you do to stay healthy.”
Daley went in to see his doctor, who was extremely familiar with the family’s heart history since he had also treated Daley’s dad and brother.
As soon as he brought up his tingling sensation, his doctor put him through several tests to see if something was going on with his heart.
Indeed, it was something quite serious: a significant blockage in the left anterior descending artery, which supplies blood to the heart. If left untreated, it could cause a fatal heart attack.

Daley underwent a quadruple bypass on December 31, 2020, clearing the blockage and allowing healthier blood flow in and out of his heart.
Because of the timing during the Covid-19 pandemic, his family could not visit him in hospital for the entire two-and-a-half-week stay.
“It was so hard to not see him,” his wife said. “But his surgeon was amazing and called me right after the procedure to tell me, ‘His heart is pumping better than ever.’”
Daley’s doctor said his family history was the primary cause of his heart issue, but the situation was not helped by his high stress load – and his increased wine consumption during the pandemic.
On the other side of his surgery, Daley has worked hard to recover, including lifestyle changes. The biggest is managing his stress. He has worked to reduce the number of triggers in his life and to improve the way he handles them.
“I don’t want more headaches,” he said.
He walks about 13km (8 miles) each day, savouring the low-impact exercise and the stress-reducing benefits. He also bikes and continues to play football with his rec team.
He prioritises sleep and is conscious of his dietary choices. He eats less red meat and plenty of fruits and vegetables. And he checks in with his cardiologist on a regular basis to make sure his heart is in good shape.
He has also become involved in promoting heart health in his community and chaired the American Heart Association’s Boston Heart Walk in 2024.

Daley is in a much better place after catching his heart issue and getting the surgery he needed, but he knows family history is not something that goes away.
His son, who was 12 at the time of his surgery, has experienced a lot of anxiety from watching his father navigate such a serious health scare – and knowing he might have to do the same.
“Yes, this does run in the family,” his wife said, “but we know about it, we talk about it, and we keep going to the doctor. So, if this happens for him, they will catch it before it becomes a serious problem, just like they did for his dad.”
Like what you read? Follow SCMP Lifestyle on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also sign up for our eNewsletter here.


8 hot wellness trends in 2026, from women’s longevity and sports to ‘health raves’

Hong Kong should see the ‘silver economy’ as a golden opportunity

Drinking tea and coffee every day may lower dementia risk, boost cognitive function

Apple Watch shouldn’t be relied on to alert to possible hypertension: study

Wellness

How tingling sensation in fit man’s arm revealed heart problem that could have killed him

Scott Daley (right) and his wife, Brooke. Scott Daley underwent quadruple bypass surgery after discovering a significant blockage in the left anterior descending artery, which supplies blood to the heart. He had a history of heart issues in his family. Photo: heart.org/Scott Daley

Scott Daley (left) with his family at his grandmother’s ancestral home in Ireland. Photo: heart.org/Scott Daley

Daley fortunately saw his doctor quickly after feeling tingling sensations in his arm. Photo: Shutterstock

Daley has worked hard to recover from his quadruple bypass surgery, including lifestyle changes. Photo: heart.org/Reebok

Emilia Clarke had 2 strokes in her 20s, so what causes them and how to recognise one?

Emilia Clarke suffered her first stroke at the age of 24, and another two years later. Photo: AP

Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones. The actress suffered her first stroke at the age of 24, and another two years later, before establishing a charity, SameYou, to raise awareness of strokes and support those with brain injuries and strokes. 
Photo: HBO

Clarke suffered a second aneurysm two years after her first. Photo: Instagram/emilia_clarke

Dr Gary Lau is director of the stroke research and prevention group that led the study at the University of Hong Kong. Photo: University of Hong Kong 

A typical Chinese diet is particularly high in sodium. Photo: Shutterstock

Someone who smokes 20 cigarettes a day carries a six-fold risk of having a stroke. Photo: Jelly Tse

What is sudden cardiac arrest? Causes, prevention and how to help someone struck by one

Denmark’s Christian Eriksen lies on the pitch after suffering a sudden cardiac arrest during the Euro 2020 soccer match between Denmark and Finland on June 12, 2021. Photo: AP

Denmark’s Joakim Maehle reacts as his teammate Christian Eriksen lies on the pitch after suffering a sudden cardiac arrest during the Euro 2020 soccer match between Denmark and Finland on June 12, 2021. We look at the causes of sudden cardiac arrest, how to prevent it in young athletes, and how to save the life of someone suffering one. Photo: AP

Chinese badminton players and coaches (in white jackets and black armbands), along with all players competing in the 2024 Badminton Asia Junior Championships, pray together for the late Chinese player Zhang Zhijie, in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, on July 1, 2024. Photo: AFP

Dr Myles Chan is a specialist in cardiology and an honorary assistant professor in the department of medicine and therapeutics at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Photo: CUHK  

Italian law mandates that every competitive athlete must undergo an annual pre-participation evaluation to identify cardiovascular diseases that pose a risk of sudden death during sport. Photo: Shutterstock

Dr Boon Lim is a London-based consultant cardiologist and electrophysiologist. Photo: Dr Boon Lim

An AED should be available in any competitive sporting arena, Chan says. Photo: Shutterstock 

How did Singapore resident beat cancer 3 times? Her secret to overcoming fear of the disease

Singapore resident Aparna Suri, who has been diagnosed with cancer three times, pictured  between chemotherapy sessions in 2024. Photo: Aparna Suri

Suri with a shaved head in 2024 after losing hair from undergoing mantle radiation treatment. Photo: Aparna Suri 

Suri with her husband on holiday in Bali, Indonesia, in 2022. Photo: Aparna Suri

Suri smiles at a Diwali party in 2023, shortly after she had received her third cancer diagnosis. Photo: Aparna Suri

Suri with two of her paintings in 2022. She took up new hobbies, including sketching, painting and cooking, as a distraction from fighting cancer. Photo: Aparna Suri

Suri did not cook until after her first cancer diagnosis. She now delights in hosting friends for meals and perfecting recipes. Photo: Aparna Suri

Suri eats more healthy foods, including salads. Photo: Aparna Suri

Suri (centre) took part in the Great Eastern Women’s Run in 2024. Photo: Aparna Suri

Swollen, puffy face? You might have ‘moon face’. Experts explain, share how to reduce it

“Moon face” or “cortisol face”, a condition in which the face appears swollen and puffy, is a health concern that has been popping up online. Photo: Instagram/mamamiaaus

The most common cause of moon face is long-term use of corticosteroid medications. Photo: Shutterstock

Lifestyle

Health & Wellness

Health

Scott Daley discovered he had a large blockage in his left anterior descending artery, which left untreated could have caused a fatal heart attack


Scott Daley discovered he had a large blockage in his left anterior descending artery, which left untreated could have caused a fatal heart attack.


Disease

Medicine

How tingling sensation in fit man’s arm revealed heart problem that could have killed him

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Scott Daley discovered he had a large blockage in his left anterior descending artery, which left untreated could have caused a fatal heart attack

Scott Daley discovered he had a large blockage in his left anterior descending artery, which left untreated could have caused a fatal heart attack