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

Five years after his sudden death, the cause of Puneeth Rajkumar's cardiac emergency during a kickboxing session remains uncertain. Dr Ramana Rao, a close friend of the actor, recounted how the actor came to his clinic, visibly sweaty, after completing a grueling one-and-a-half-hour kickboxing routine. Dr Rao, alarmed by the actor's condition, immediately performed an ECG, which revealed signs of strain in the actor's heart.

Despite being conscious and insisting on sitting up on the way to the hospital, Puneeth's health rapidly deteriorated once he arrived. His heart stopped beating, and despite the medical team's efforts, he could not be revived. Dr Tandon, a cardiologist, suggests that intense exercise like kickboxing could potentially trigger a cardiac event in someone who is already susceptible to heart problems.

However, it is important to note that kickboxing alone cannot be definitively said to have caused the cardiac emergency. A thorough clinical investigation, including the patient's medical history and other tests, is crucial to establish the exact cause.