If you've been reading EMT, you know that we've been reporting on what seems like a growing trend of marathon deaths due to Cardiac Arrest. But if you are a marathon runner...fear not.
A new and massive study just published in the New England Journal of Medicine finds that marathon running is safe, in fact it is much safer than racing a triathlon...at least when it comes to the chance of sudden Cardiac Arrest.
Researchers looked at nearly 11 million runners who ran half and full marathons between 2000 and 2010.
After analyzing the data they concluded that only 42 of the 59 people who died during the race had suffered a cardiac arrest which translates to 1 death per 259,000 runners.
According to NPR:
"For collegiate athletes, the sudden death rate is 1 per 43,770, researchers say. For triathletes, it's 1 per 52,630."
Furthermore, "The mortality rate for marathoners and half-marathoners is about 20 percent lower than the rate for typical cardiac arrest cases that happen outside hospitals, the report says."
According to CBS News:
"That overall figures translate to 1 cardiac arrest per 184,000 participants and 1 death per 259,000 participants, the researchers said. Those numbers are low compared to other athletic activities, as shown by prior studies of deaths in college athletes, triathlon participants and previously healthy middle-aged joggers, researchers said."
"Recently more and more folks that have a history of being sedentary and even having heart disease or heart risk factors are turning to the sport to improve their health," said study author Dr. Aaron Baggish, associate director of the cardiovascular performance program at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. "These are the people who are probably most at risk."
"The deal is that exercise is really quite protective, but it's not completely protective," Baggish added. "If you're destined to have a problem, it's most likely to occur while you're actually exercising."
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