ATTENTION CHICAGO MARATHON RUNNERS
With the Chicago Marathon closely approaching, many runners are training for the big event. It is scheduled for Sunday, October 11, 2009 and we wish the participants success!
Tragically, two years ago, a 35-year-old Michigan police officer died during an unusually hot and humid Chicago marathon. An autopsy revealed that the officer's heart condition caused his death. Since the effects of marathon running on the heart has become a popular topic among researchers, The New York Times explored the issue in a recent health segment.
The Times article discusses a controversial study published last year in the European Heart Journal. In that study, scientists scanned the hearts of 108 experienced, male distance runners in their fifties, sixties and seventies; all had completed a minimum of five marathons in the prior three years. After studying the scans, the researchers found that more than a third of the men showed evidence of significant calcification or plaque build-up in their heart arteries.
Since the release of that study, researchers worldwide have attempted to clarify the issue. In one recent study, Canadian researchers examined 129 non-elite runners in Winnipeg, testing their blood just before and after running a half or full marathon. When runners reached their finish line, blood tests revealed that most of the half marathoners and even more of the marathoners displayed elevated cardiac troponin, a substance in the blood that usually suggests cardiac injury, and other blood markers of heart damage. When the runners were tested again after an hour, even more showed blood indicators of cardiac damage.
Although running is an excellent way to stay physically healthy, if you have ever experienced any heart problems, you should consult a doctor before attempting long distance or marathon running. If while training for or actually running a marathon you have any heart-related symptoms, such as shortness of breath or chest pains, stop running and see a doctor immediately. We know that heart attacks can and do happen during marathons, and those with a history of heart disease are particularly at risk.
