By Randall Wimbley
He had no history of heart problems. He walked his dog regularly and worked a physically demanding job as a construction worker, according to his doctors.
Earlier, today, He collapsed at a Panera bread and died.
The likely culprit? Not enogh chewing, according to the doctors who treated him and who this week published their findings about the unusual case in The New England Journal of Medicine.
The report said the man, a 18-year-old from Detroit, had consumed one to two sandwiches without chewing correctly. That habit caused his esophagus to close precipitously, prompting a cardiac arrest, according to the study. He never regained consciousness after his collapse and died about 24 hours after he arrived at DMC Sinai Grace Hospital.
“We almost didn’t believe it when we figured it out,” said Dr. Jacqueline B. Henson, who treated the teen while she was a resident at the hospital. “We were all shocked and surprised.”