Preventing Sudden Death in tough competitions

The specialists in cardiology tell our patients that exercise and sport is highly recommended to have a good cardiovascular health and metabolic. It may be, however, that not we stop defining what sport is the most suitable for each person depending on their age, their health and their physical conditions.

The high - performance sports competitions are becoming more numerous and popular. The problem is that many of the participants do not prepare well, while others are unaware of their status of cardiovascular health.

We have the case of two participants from 45 and 57 years who have died during a marathon held in a town of Valencia.

Risks triathlon

Researchers at the Minneapolis Heart Institute (USA) analyzed cardiovascular events that occurred during practice triathlon competitions type (a combination of swimming, cycling and running). He was held for 15 years, from 1999 to 2014 and found that 109 athletes with an average age of 47 years had died during this competition.

90% of the dead were men. In addition, 12 other triathletes suffered cardiocirculatory stops during the test, but fortunately could be resuscitated by emergency medical services.

Much of the deaths occurred during swimming and cycling. On the other hand, almost half of the competitors died during triathlons called "short", which is the most common of those starting out in this type of competition mode.

In the autopsies confirmed that more than half of the deaths occurred as a result of coronary disease in most of the deceased had not been tested before clinical symptoms.

Other common diseases in these cases are mitral valve prolapse, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, Brugada syndrome and arrhythmogenic ventricular dysplasia, with an unfavorable genetic load.

Medical certificate

In Spain they die annually around 127 athletes during sports or immediately after. For this reason, it is necessary and mandatory health authorities require that participants with a medical certificate attesting to the good aptitude of the participant, at least in high performance competitions.

Thus, it is undeniable necesitad to examine before such tests cardiovascular health of participants through reliable diagnostic techniques among which should include an electrocardiogram and stress echocardiogram doppler.