Athlete Sudden Death

Q: We hear about marathon runners and athletes who are in really good shape dying of heart attacks while out running. Why does that happen?

A: Sudden cardiac arrest (also called sudden cardiac death)—an abrupt, unexpected loss of heart function—rarely occurs in athletes, but when it does, it often happens during exercise. Vigorous exercise, including long-distance running, may simply trigger an attack caused by underlying reasons.
           
In athletes under age 35, sudden cardiac arrest most often is due to an undiagnosed congenital heart defect, such as a structural abnormality in the heart muscle or valves. Older, physically fit athletes who die from this condition usually have undetected coronary heart disease.           

Sudden cardiac arrest occurs most frequently in adults in their mid-30s to mid-40s. It’s three to four times as common in men as in women, but this disparity tends to decrease with advancing age.

Jennifer H. Mieres, M.D., is director of nuclear cardiology and associate professor of clinical medicine at New York University. She’s also a spokeswoman for the American Heart Association.