{"product_id":"paul-d-thompson-marathon-heart-risks-23","title":"Marathon running: heart risks, cardiac arrest 23","description":"\u003ch1\u003eMarathon Running and Heart Risk: Pacing, Symptoms, and CPR\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eJump To Section\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"#rare-events\"\u003eWhy marathon deaths draw attention\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"#seeing-a-doctor\"\u003eSeeing a doctor before a marathon\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"#late-in-the-race\"\u003eEvents late in the race\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"#gradual-training\"\u003eTraining gradually\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"#learning-cpr\"\u003eLearning CPR\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"#full-transcript\"\u003eFull Transcript\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"rare-events\"\u003eWhy marathon deaths draw attention\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHeart risk during marathon running is really quite low, according to Dr. Paul D. Thompson, MD. Dr. Anton Titov, MD, asks what a recreational runner should know, citing the registry study Dr. Thompson co-authored on cardiac arrest during marathons and half marathons.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDr. Thompson says these events are quite rare but feel paradoxical. We expect these runners to be the healthiest, so a death during a marathon or sporting event upsets us and draws a lot of attention.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"seeing-a-doctor\"\u003eSeeing a doctor before a marathon\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA visit to a doctor before a marathon is not necessarily needed, in Dr. Thompson's opinion, unless a runner has symptoms. He considers paying attention to yourself the most important thing. New symptoms mean seeing a doctor, and he quotes the saying that a person who is his own doctor has a fool for a patient.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"late-in-the-race\"\u003eEvents late in the race\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe timing of events was a very interesting finding in Dr. Thompson's study of deaths during marathons. He says the largest number of events happened in the last 25% of the race course. He thinks this is probably because people speed up, want to show off for their family and push too hard.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"gradual-training\"\u003eTraining gradually\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGoing slowly during exercise training is his main advice. Dr. Thompson suggests not running too far in the first week or so, and building up step by step, in baby steps.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"learning-cpr\"\u003eLearning CPR\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLearning cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is his other recommendation for marathoners and racers. A runner cannot perform CPR on themselves, he notes, but can use it to help another person who collapses during a run or exercise.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDr. Thompson does not want to make too much of the danger. Exercise is overall beneficial to health, he says, but occasional episodes happen, and runners want to be ready for them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"full-transcript\"\u003eFull Transcript\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDr. Anton Titov, MD:\u003c\/strong\u003e Marathon running and the heart, cardiac arrest in marathon runners. You co-authored the registry study of cardiac arrest during marathons and half marathons. Cardiac arrest was rare and occurred mainly in men running full marathons. The most common causes were hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and coronary artery disease. Professor Thompson, what should a recreational marathon runner know about heart risk? Who should see a cardiologist before a marathon?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDr. Paul D. Thompson, MD:\u003c\/strong\u003e The risk of exercise is really quite low. It is made a big deal. We make a big deal of it because if anything happens, it is paradoxical, right?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDr. Paul D. Thompson, MD:\u003c\/strong\u003e We expect these people to be the healthiest. So if somebody dies during a marathon, if somebody dies during a sporting event, that upsets us, and so we pay a lot of attention to it. But actually, these events are quite rare.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDr. Paul D. Thompson, MD:\u003c\/strong\u003e I do not think anybody necessarily has to see a doctor before a marathon unless you have symptoms. The most important thing is to pay attention to yourself. If you have new symptoms and stuff like that, then you should see a doctor.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDr. Paul D. Thompson, MD:\u003c\/strong\u003e Now, in the study we did looking at deaths during marathons, a very interesting finding occurred. The largest number of events happened in the last 25% of the race course. They happened in the last quarter of the race course.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDr. Paul D. Thompson, MD:\u003c\/strong\u003e That is probably because people speed up; they want to show off for their family, they want to push too hard. So the most important thing about it is to go slowly during your exercise training. Do not go out and run too far the first week or so.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDr. Paul D. Thompson, MD:\u003c\/strong\u003e Go slow, step by step, baby steps. And then pay attention to yourself. If something happens, if you have new symptoms, do not be the doctor.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDr. Paul D. Thompson, MD:\u003c\/strong\u003e Go see a doctor. The other thing I think is important is that if you are a marathoner or a racer, you should learn CPR. Not because you are going to do CPR on yourself (you cannot do that), but cardiopulmonary resuscitation can help you resuscitate some other person if they collapse during a run or exercise.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDr. Paul D. Thompson, MD:\u003c\/strong\u003e Now remember, I do not want to make too much of this. We make too much out of the risks of exercise. Exercise is overall beneficial to your health, but there are occasional episodes, and you want to be ready to deal with them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDr. Paul D. Thompson, MD:\u003c\/strong\u003e If you have symptoms, do not be your own doctor. We always say that the person that has himself as his doctor has a fool for a patient. I hope I said that right.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDr. Paul D. Thompson, MD:\u003c\/strong\u003e But the point is, if you try to be your own doctor, you are a bit of a fool.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Diagnostic Detectives Network","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48388723671196,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0599\/5449\/5644\/files\/2225159141-3a9c1d300324f70beb4b5c8a45cdd4017ba338b7dbf799d564c075af933d90c4-d_1920x1080_f95e1b16-7af3-4c12-b286-98b25029b572.jpg?v=1794435475","url":"https:\/\/diagnosticdetectives.com\/de\/products\/paul-d-thompson-marathon-heart-risks-23","provider":"DiagnosticDetectives.Com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}