Athlete's Heart Blog

Dr Larry Creswell

Dr. Larry Creswell on athletes and heart health.
About Larry / Contact
  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Writing on…

Copyright © 2022 · Wintersong Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Follow-Up: Detroit Marathon Deaths

October 21, 2009 By Larry Creswell, MD Leave a Comment

I continue to receive questions about the deaths of 3 runners during the half marathon in Detroit this past weekend. I understand from the popular press that additional tests are needed before the autopsy reports can be finalized. More on that when additional information is available.

These deaths have stimulated a lot of discussion, though. There was an interesting article in the New York Times yesterday, entitled “Are Marathons Safe?” Some food for thought. Marathons, like any endurance sporting event, place a heavy demand on the cardiovascular system, so it shouldn’t be surprising that an occasional participant dies a sudden cardiac death. But it’s important to keep things in perspective….the risk is real but very, very small for any individual participant.

These sudden deaths in sporting events should motivate us to be more vigilant about screening for cardiovascular disease in athletes and paying attention to potential warning signs that deserve investigation.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Sports-related sudden cardiac death Tagged With: fatality, race safety, running, sudden cardiac death

Email Newsletter

Sign up to receive an email when I add new content.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *