A Chinese man got so angry while tutoring and helping his teenage son with his homework that he suffered a heart attack and almost lost his life

Surnamed Zhang, the 40-something man from China’s Zhejiang province started experiencing shortness of breath and chest pain while helping his son prepare for senior secondary school entrance exams. Things got so tense between the two that Zhang was rushed to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction. Doctors at the Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital performed emergency artery bypass surgery and managed to save Zhang’s life. The cause of the heart attack was attributed to premature coronary artery disease, a life-threatening condition often exacerbated by stress.

Chinese media outlets reported that the relationship between Zhang and his son, a junior secondary school graduate preparing for exams, had become very strained since he started getting involved in his preparation. The two had practice sessions every night and during one of these sessions, Zhang got so angry that he suffered an acute myocardial infarction.

Zhang’s case once again reignited the debate surrounding the intense academic pressure faced by Chinese youths and their parents. Parents’ stress levels when it comes to their children’s education are so high that they suffer serious physical problems. Earlier this year, we wrote about the growing number of Chinese parents suffering heart attacks and strokes while helping their offspring with homework, especially math.