A Canadian study published this week showed that video games may lead to a fatal heart attack in children with heart diseases.

The study, titled "Life-threatening arrhythmias and sudden death during electronic games," examined 22 incidents in which children aged 7 to 16 experienced irregular heartbeats, whether confirmed or suspected, and lost consciousness during video games.

Six of the children suffered cardiac arrest, and four died. Dr. Shubian Sanatani, Head of Cardiology at British Columbia, said: "This is a relatively small study, but we still find a number of cases where children actively engaged in video games experienced severe cardiac events."

Sanatani added that families do not need to worry about the results, noting that all cases reviewed by the researchers involved children with risk factors and underlying heart conditions that were either known before the incidents or diagnosed afterward.

He told CTV News: "These cases are fortunately rare – most commonly occurring in about one in 2,000 individuals."

Researchers said children who suddenly lose consciousness while playing an intense video game should be evaluated by a doctor or specialist.

War-themed multiplayer games appeared more than any other type of video game in the cases reviewed for the study, although Sanatani said more research is needed to draw any direct connections with these types of media.

War games like the Call of Duty series are among the most widely played games across platforms, which may skew the results.

The study, published in the journal HeartRhythm, attributed the children's episodes to "adrenergic stimulation associated with the emotionally charged electronic gaming environment."

The researchers said their findings raise questions about whether games are a safe alternative to competitive sports for children with heart diseases.