Several Runners Survive Sudden Cardiac Arrest
Cardiac arrest is probably not the biggest thing on your mind while working out but should it be? You’re much more inclined to think, “Am I done yet”, “Do it for the GAINZ”, or “I’m going to thank myself for this later”. Do you ever think to yourself, “How many people around me know CPR in case I have an undetected heart condition that could send me into cardiac arrest at any given moment?” Probably not, yet it’s a very real concern. There are stories from athletes who have suffered cardiac arrest and were the lucky ones who lived to tell their tale. Take 38 year old Melissa Ziebell for example who went into cardiac arrest towards the end of a half marathon she had been on pace to complete in 1:45 (1). The race required medical clearance for eligibility to compete. Ziebell had been cleared by a cardiologist a few months prior. Cardiologist, Matthew Martinez, M.D., said, “Some of the conditions that can trigger a sudden cardiac arrest are hard to find” (2). After Ziebell was brought to the hospital, she was informed she had a “congenital defect in her heart- a tangled formation of her right coronary artery” after many rounds of tests (3). Dr. Martinez explained congenital defects are the most common cause of sudden cardiac arrest in young people (4). This may leave you feeling uneasy given Ziebell had no idea she had this defect until after she died and was luckily revived. One way to help ease this uneasiness is to feel prepared if such an event were to occur to you or someone around you. We need to protect each other by learning how to perform CPR so we can together drop the statistic that “approximately 500 deaths are attributed to sudden cardiac arrest in athletes each year in the United States” (5).
Another runner, 57 year old Marc Rosen, was training for the Chicago Marathon. During a training run, Marc collapsed after stopping for water feeling a little dehydrated. Like Marc, suffering cardiac arrest is not our main concern. Marc reported feeling dizzy whenever he stopped for water for about six weeks leading up to his sudden cardiac arrest. “‘In retrospect, maybe it sounds like yeah, that was obvious,’ he said. ‘But at the time you’re thinking, ‘Maybe I didn’t hydrate enough, or maybe I’m low on electrolytes or something’” (6). Dr. Martinez reported this thinking is not uncommon for runners and other athletes. Some athletes fear bringing up symptoms afraid they will be benched. Marc sums up living fearlessly of cardiac arrest perfectly, “There are always going to be risks in life, but it doesn’t seem to be an unacceptable risk” (7). If the majority of the population can perform CPR and do it accurately and confidently, there is even less to worry about.
Another marathon runner, Daphne Hodgins, was 52 years old when she suffered cardiac arrest on a run with three other training partners. Luckily, one friend running with her had been a CPR instructor and used CPR to save Daphne’s life. “Hands-only CPR can double-or even triple-the chances of survival after sudden cardiac arrest” (8). Daphne did not experience any symptoms leading up to her accident. As a survivor she advises, “Learn how to do CPR and be aware of other people” (9). Thankfully those are her words so I don’t sound like a broken record!
Sources
1) Kuzma Contributing Writer Cindy is a freelance health and fitness writer, Cindy. “5 Runners Who Survived Sudden Cardiac Arrest Tell You What It Really Feels Like.” Runner's World, 17 Sept. 2020, www.runnersworld.com/health-injuries/a29741435/runners-who-survived-cardiac-arrest/.
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5) Indiana Department of Education’s Sudden Cardiac Arrest Advisory Board. (n.d.). SUDDEN CARDIAC ARREST A Fact Sheet for Student Athletes.
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