08 January,2017 09:06 AM IST | | Rupsa Chakraborty
City docs advise runners to be health-aware to avoid mishap
Doctors say that a normal stress test would help understand the physical well-being of a marathoner
Doctors say that a normal stress test would help understand the physical well-being of a marathoner
With just a week left before Mumbai hits the turf for the annual marathon, senior doctors have advised marathoners to take precautionary measures and undergo a fitness test to avoid the risk of cardiac arrests during the run.
"Since the beginning of the marathon, two people have succumbed to heart attack while running," said Dr Vijay D'Silva, medical director and director of critical care, Asian Heart Institute. Last year alone, 18 people were hospitalised at the hospital post the marathon. "Even though the statistics are not alarming, runners need to take precautionary measures and monitor the condition of their heart before running," Dr Tilak Suvarna, senior interventional cardiologist from Asian Heart Institute, said.
"A normal stress test could help understand the condition of a runner. It also helps identify any blockage in the arteries of the heart," added Dr D'Silva. According to doctors, people suffering from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy should be doubly careful. In this disease, the heart muscle cells enlarge and cause the walls of the ventricles to thicken. "If you are suffering with this, the chances of getting a heart attack increase," said Dr Suvarna.
40%
Rise in no. of young marathoners getting admitted to the hospital
5,000
No. of runners who complained of injuries, dehydration, and heart issues in 2016
