Vonnies Health Spot

MARATHONS AND SUDDEN DEATH

Almost every weekend throughout the year, somewhere in the United States, a marathon is taking place, and I suspect that'€™s the case throughout many other parts of the world as well. One might think that organized marathons would cause a lot of traffic tie-ups and car crashes because of road closures, but it seems just the opposite is true. In fact, marathons lower the risk of fatal motor vehicle crashes that might otherwise have taken place if the roads had not been closed.

In the Christmas 2007 issue, BMJ-British Medical Journal released the results of a study of 26 established, randomly selected marathons examined over a 30-year period. Each marathon had at least 1,000 participants and took place on US roadways from 1975 to 2004. Sudden cardiac deaths following each marathon were recorded and compared to motor vehicle deaths during the same hours one week before and one week after each marathon. The same comparisons were then replicated for state counties that were outside the marathon route to check for spillover in traffic flow.

SURPRISING RESULTS
During the period of time studied, there were 26 sudden cardiac deaths, equivalent to a rate of 0.8 per 100,000 participants or about two deaths per million hours of exercise. But because of road closure, 46 motor vehicle fatalities were prevented that otherwise would have occurred, equivalent to almost two lives saved. The reduced risk couldn't be explained by re-routing traffic to other regions or days and was consistent across different parts of the country, decade of the century, seasons of the year, days of the week, and race characteristics.

MEDIA SENSATIONALISM
Millions of people take part in organized sporting events on a regular basis, and the outcome for a few participants is sudden death. These deaths attract widespread media attention, such as the high publicity given to deaths that occur in marathon runners. In contrast, sudden deaths from motor vehicle crashes occur more than a hundred times each day in the US alone and tend to be under-reported in the media.

THE REAL RISK
The data show that the final 1.6 km (about 1 mile) of the marathon accounts for almost half of the sudden cardiac deaths, so the authors of the study suggest the last half of the length of the marathon (and especially the last 1.6 km in particular) should contain the highest number of paramedic staffing and ambulance preparedness. The researchers concluded that the real risk, which is more dangerous than generally realized, was the final sprint followed by suddenly stopping.

For more information, go to www.marathonrookie.com/2008-marathon-calendar.html or www.britishmedicaljournal.com.

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Disclaimer: The purpose of this weblog is not to dispense medical advice nor in any way is meant to be construed as diagnostic or prescriptive. Always check with your physician before beginning any new program or trying any of the items discussed in the posts that appear on this site.

30-YEAR STUDY CONFIRMS LINK BETWEEN LONG-TERM STRESS ON ALZHEIMER’S CAREGIVERS AND WEAKENED IMMUNITY

The September 2007 issue of the Journal of Immunology reported that researchers at Ohio State University, who have been studying the link between stress and a weakened immune state for more than 30 years, have discovered that areas of genetic material lose their ability to repair damage to certain chromosomes among long-term Alzheimer’s caregivers.

The investigators also believe that the changes in the immunity-related cells reflect the entire cell population in the body, suggesting that all of the body’s cells have aged prematurely and at the same rate. Caregivers also had fewer lymphocytes, which are important for immunity, and more cytokines—molecules that play a role in how the body responds to inflammation.

The Ohio State study proves there are biological consequences of stress at the cellular level and that those consequences may ultimately reduce caregiver life expectancy by four to eight years. If you're one of those millions of caregivers, click on Alzheimer's in the Categories section of the sidebar at the right and scroll down to Ten Symptoms of Caregiver Stress from the Alzheimer’s Association to find ways to help minimize long-term stress effects. Another helpful site to explore is www.alz.org.

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Disclaimer: The purpose of this weblog is not to dispense medical advice nor in any way is meant to be construed as diagnostic or prescriptive. Always check with your physician before beginning any new program or trying any of the items discussed in the posts that appear on this site.

THE POSSIBILITY OF DEVELOPING THE BIG C FRIGHTENS EVERYONE, SO MYTHS ABOUND

According to a recent survey by the American Cancer Society and published in its journal Cancer, many people hold a lot of beliefs about cancer that are based in urban mythology and not on solid science. For example:

>More than 14 percent thought that shampoos and antiperspirants cause cancer; 15 percent weren’t sure.

>More than 15 percent incorrectly believe that smokers do not reduce their risk of cancer by quitting, or they believe that low-tar cigarettes are safer.

>Nearly 30 percent said they thought electronic devices cause cancer; 25 percent weren’t sure.

>Almost 40 percent said they thought pollution was a greater risk for lung cancer than smoking; another 19 percent weren’t sure.

Ironically, the survey found that the segment of the population most likely to hold misconceptions were older, less educated males who rated themselves as “very informed.”

Many people have a hard time judging risk. They hold unproven or disproved theories about risk avoidance and health. Some urban myths that will not go away include: underwire bras, cell phones or antiperspirants as cancer causes. Yet, on the other hand, people often ignore or minimize the big risks. Though the Internet is a great resource for information, it can also be a source of rumors and misinformation. Make sure the websites you visit are reliable.
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Disclaimer: The purpose of this weblog is not to dispense medical advice nor in any way is meant to be construed as diagnostic or prescriptive. Always check with your physician before beginning any new program or trying any of the items discussed in the posts that appear on this site.