Marathon Running Linked to Heart Damage"This is a paper that is new and novel, and we'll take a look at it," Thompson said. "It has to be put into context."
This isn't the first time marathon runners have been cautioned that endurance running could be dangerous. In the past, however, the emphasis has been on building awareness for those with pre-existing heart conditions that could lead to sudden death.
In 2007, the Chicago Marathon's 88-degree temperature, humidity and lack of water throughout the course forced the race director to shut down the second half of the course three-and-a-half hours after the gun went off. Almost 21,000 of the 45,000 registered either didn't start or didn't finish the race. Forty-nine runners were hospitalized and Chad Schieber, who had a pre-existing heart condition, died.
A month later, elite runner Ryan Shay, 28, died during the 2007 U.S. Olympic Trials in New York City. Shay, who had an enlarged heart, had been cleared to race that spring.
In October 2009, these sudden deaths were brought to the forefront of the running community's focus once again when three men died in Detroit within 16 minutes of each other.
Doctors considered these deaths freak accidents, according to a 1996 study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, which showed that the potential for sudden deaths in endurance athletes is highly unlikely and that routine screening for cardiovascular disease in marathon runners is not necessary.
"It has been known for years that even though exercise is thought to reduce the risk of heart disease, when you're actually engaged in the physical activity, the risk of death goes up," Thompson said.
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