My EKG was irregular last week. I followed up with a calcium score by CT and have an echocardiogram coming up. I ran Chicago last month.
My blood pressure is perfect and resting heart rate is very low. I have zero symptoms of any heart disease or abnormalities. Still, some heart conditions are genetic and I want to make sure everything is fine.
Racing 26.2 miles is definitely stressful on the body, and I generally max 2 per year. If I’m not within 8 weeks of a race, I almost never go more than 90 minutes on a run, and most days are less than 50.
Sad story for those guys but it is low probability. I was at a triathlon spectating when someone had a heart attack and died during the swim. It happens.
Not only that but there was a study to show that pedestrian deaths on city streets during the 6-8 hrs they are closed is still way down vs deaths in the 'thon. So its a benefit to society.
All exercises increases one's chances of death while they're doing it. Though two deaths at a marathon is unusual, we should expect more deaths at a mass exercise event than at other mass public events. We don't hear as much about people dying while exercising on their own or while doing other strenuous tasks. Of course, a marathon is very stressful, but we shouldn't overstate the danger.
You must be new here. That is a grammatically correct, well-reasoned and objective commentary on the post you responded to.
With marathon running boom, we're getting a lot of people who really shouldn't be running 26 miles.
So im getting the feeling a lot of you are missing the point. Sudden death can happen to any level runner. In fact, if you are running a 5 hour marathon, there is a good chance your HR is barely elevated. You know what athletes have high rates of A fib and arrythmias? High level marathoners, pro cyclists, and older- high level athletes. Shall we prevent anyone over 50 that still runs at a high level from competing too? Because they are the ones with the highest level of arrythmias. Probably the much better lesson here is just see your cardiologist maybe. Even a new gen apple watch can detect abnormal heart rythms.
What's considered a comprehensive heart checkup? ECG + Echo? Stress ECG? More?
I'm actually scheduled for some tests this afternoon. I'll get the names and pass them on here.
One test that's not normally covered by insurance ($40-$150) is the arterial velocity pulse test. You wear a blood pressure cuff on your ankle and arm and a device that looks like a giant wrist watch on your wrist, plus several chest wires. It measures early risk for atherosclerosis (stiffening of the major and minor arteries). My results were borderline in the large artery index and in the danger zone in the small artery index 3 years ago, but as of my test last week, both are well into the normal, healthy range now. I take three supplements for this.
In another test... I'll get the name today... I ran on a treadmill for a few minutes at increasingly faster paces with some electrical probes on my chest. Then after maybe 5 minutes, I literally stepped off the treadmill onto a gurney beside the treadmill and the techncian did an ultrasound of my heart as I lay on the gurney. I could see it on the screen as she moved the probe around over my heart. We did that three times, I think.
In the next test, I wore probes on my chest and a mask while riding on an exercise bike at increasing faster paces. I assume this was a standard sub-max stress test.
There's also some sort of calcium test. Mine has been normal so far. My running friends in their late 60s have had a second test done to detect early calcium buildup. It's only available at one clinic in our city and isn't covered by insurance. It detected a potentially dangerous build up in one of the major heart arteries in one of my friends. This person has a great diet and is extremely fit for age 67. It was a surprise. I'll get the names of all these tests and post them on this thread.
I was there at the marathon. I was in the 4:15 crowd and finished slightly behind the pacer. I can tell you as far as conditions go, the weather was perfect. Starting temps in the mid 40s and then warmed up to partly cloudy in the mid 50s. Low humidity. Plenty of water/electrolytes/food every ~2k or so. From what a few friends that were there at the finish line had told me, the 40 year old man had just ran 2:44 and some change and passed out shortly after the finish. The 71 year old man was as others had said was right at the final turn towards the finish when he experienced whatever event caused him to pass away. My friends had said spectators and medical were performing CPR on him for a good 8-10 minutes before he was transported.
They were two men (40 and 71) that had passed away from what the Marion County Coroner's Office had released (see here, it's behind a paywall from IndyStar: Indianapolis coroner ID's men who died after Monumental Marathon). I believe their results were pulled from the official results by the event organizers.
Why is this a 3 page thread, it seems to be a pretty simple story. People fall over dead in marathons every year. Just kinda part of it, assumption of risk.
One of the runners was within 100-200m from the finish and around the 3:25 pacer when he collapsed. He was treated immediately by EMS, however it took a long time for an ambulance to actually take him away. The weather and conditions were ideal on Saturday.
My thoughts go out to family and friends of these runners.
When I hear about a running tragedy (or cycling, motorbiking, weightlifting)... hobbies of mine) I ask myself what can I learn from this tragedy.
Deaths like this one are often heart related. Several years ago I decided to get a comprehensive heart checkup, including some tests that I had to pay for out of pocket. I now have most of these tests done every year and see a cardiologist twice a year. He has identified a couple of problems that we are addressing: one we have corrected and the other we are managing.
I'd urge everyone to have a complete heart checkup, especially if you're over 50 and have not already done so. In fact, I'm going in for a battery of tests tomorrow.
according to a plethora of scientific articles, most meat, dairy and egg-eaters will get cancer, osteoporosis or diabetes, while more than 50 percent will have a non-genetically-induced heart attack or stroke.
Humans are omnivores. That is a simple fact. Go ahead and choose a diet that works for you and nobody will care. Allow others the same courtesy. You could also argue that the vast usage of pesticides and some forms of GMOs make vegan diets dangerous with a higher volume of those toxins. Fact is, there are many things in our food supply, animal and non-animal based, that are impacting our health
Probably has nothing to do with an experimental injection given to hundreds of millions of adults worldwide without long term studies. Hmmmm.... Two more cases of "died suddenly"
The COVID virus itself was proven to primarily attack the pulmonary and cardiac systems and have a lasting impact. There are many facts that support that heart damage is magnitudes higher from the COVID virus vs incidental cases with the vaccination. Additionally, heart conditions causing heart attacks during athletic activity is nothing new. Just ask the Gathers family. I would provide you with additional facts but you appear to have immunity to that
What's considered a comprehensive heart checkup? ECG + Echo? Stress ECG? More?
I'm actually scheduled for some tests this afternoon. I'll get the names and pass them on here.
One test that's not normally covered by insurance ($40-$150) is the arterial velocity pulse test. You wear a blood pressure cuff on your ankle and arm and a device that looks like a giant wrist watch on your wrist, plus several chest wires. It measures early risk for atherosclerosis (stiffening of the major and minor arteries). My results were borderline in the large artery index and in the danger zone in the small artery index 3 years ago, but as of my test last week, both are well into the normal, healthy range now. I take three supplements for this.
In another test... I'll get the name today... I ran on a treadmill for a few minutes at increasingly faster paces with some electrical probes on my chest. Then after maybe 5 minutes, I literally stepped off the treadmill onto a gurney beside the treadmill and the techncian did an ultrasound of my heart as I lay on the gurney. I could see it on the screen as she moved the probe around over my heart. We did that three times, I think.
In the next test, I wore probes on my chest and a mask while riding on an exercise bike at increasing faster paces. I assume this was a standard sub-max stress test.
There's also some sort of calcium test. Mine has been normal so far. My running friends in their late 60s have had a second test done to detect early calcium buildup. It's only available at one clinic in our city and isn't covered by insurance. It detected a potentially dangerous build up in one of the major heart arteries in one of my friends. This person has a great diet and is extremely fit for age 67. It was a surprise. I'll get the names of all these tests and post them on this thread.
Just got my other heart test results back. I promised I would share the tests I've had done in addition to the cycling stress test. Here are the additional tests I had done this time
CT Calcium total 78 vs 62 last year. <100 is considered normal. LAD was only 4.4, which someone told me was the widow-maker artery so that's good news, I think. Chest 2V PA_LAT (chest x-ray) Negative ECG. Normal US Carotid Duplex Doppler Bilateral. Normal ABI without exercise. Normal Arterial Pressure Wave analysis.
I had to pay out-of-pocket for two of these tests.
There was one minor abnormality, some sort of minor valve issue that my RN wife tells me is very common with advanced age. I'll know more when I talk to my cardiologist again.
Probably has nothing to do with an experimental injection given to hundreds of millions of adults worldwide without long term studies. Hmmmm.... Two more cases of "died suddenly"
The COVID virus itself was proven to primarily attack the pulmonary and cardiac systems and have a lasting impact. There are many facts that support that heart damage is magnitudes higher from the COVID virus vs incidental cases with the vaccination. Additionally, heart conditions causing heart attacks during athletic activity is nothing new. Just ask the Gathers family. I would provide you with additional facts but you appear to have immunity to that
The so called vaccine does not prevent infection.
1) Covid Infection without Covid vax.
2) Covid Infection with Covid vax.
Thankful I chose number 1 and avoided any possible "incidental" health problems.