Chicago Marathon Heart Valve Death

[Karlynn]

We were in KC during the marathon, but I guess people were dropping right and left due to the heat and dehydration. One runner died and the autopsy today showed a "faulty heart valve". That was my first thought when I heard a runner died.

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=local&id=5695929

 

[Cooker]

I was this on the news this morning. Very sad.

 

[strawberry]

It was MVP

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/more/10/08/marathonupdate.ap/index.html

 

[jgibson]

How often does this happen?

How often does this happen?

It was MVP

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/more/10/08/marathonupdate.ap/index.html

Somebody, anybody, help me out with this.

I have been active all my life. Been seriously running for about 3 years, and was looking to start upping my training so that I could do half marathons and so forth.

Now something like this happens.

My surgeon told me to not exercise so hard. What does it actually take to be killed from a MVP?

My repair is scheduled for next week. Should I be ok to exercise after my recovery??? I would hate to think I was playing russian roulette every time I went out to run.

Can anybody enlighten me on this subject.

Thanks.

 

[MikeHeim]

This is an extremely tricky subject. I ran eight marathons without even having an inkling that I had a heart valve disorder. In the end, my mitral valve went from a simple prolapse to severe regurgitation in an extremely quick time period (a month or less). I've occasionally wondered how possible it would have been for my valve to go during any of the marathons I ran and I doubt I'll ever get an answer. My Cardiologist didn't have any issues with me running post-op, so I ran a half-marathon about a year after my surgery. Once again, I have no idea if I'm putting myself in danger or not.

If I recall correctly, there was a thread on marathon deaths that went on some time ago. I don't believe there were any clear answers or any resolution at that time.

 

[LUVMyBirman]

They were debating calling the race off. 300+ hospitalized. 1 death.

Wrote in a thread back in January. About a friend of ours...in his 30's. MVP, died exercising on his tread mill after a "clean bill of heath" was given at a "top notch" university hospital in Chicago. So upsetting...it's still very difficult to rehash.

 

[geebee]

Somebody, anybody, help me out with this.

I have been active all my life. Been seriously running for about 3 years, and was looking to start upping my training so that I could do half marathons and so forth.

Now something like this happens.

My surgeon told me to not exercise so hard. What does it actually take to be killed from a MVP?

My repair is scheduled for next week. Should I be ok to exercise after my recovery??? I would hate to think I was playing russian roulette every time I went out to run.

Can anybody enlighten me on this subject.

Thanks.

Jeff,

Just take it easy between now and your surgery. Once you recover, you should be fine because your prolapse will be fixed. Just follow your medical advice and enroll in cardiac rehab if your insurance will cover it or you can afford it otherwise.

 

[Tony]

Just for the record

Another Michigander, Rachael Townsend, died at the Chicago Marathon in October 2004. She was an athlete, age 29. She died of mitral valve prolapse at the finish line.

I submitted a thread titled "Rachael Townsend Remembered" in 2005.

 

[tprice54]

marathon

marathon

I was at Twin Cities in Minnesota this past weekend to run the marathon as a Global Hero...I did not finish. The heat was unbearable to me (80 degrees at 10 am when I dropped at mile 11). You certainly can run marathons, given medical okay. I am 8 months post op and was given the ok by my cardio. I felt great, but the heat did me in....I'll do another though!

 

[Marguerite53]

Could someone explain the general principles of the mitral valve prolapse problem? I'm an aortic stenosis person (now replaced AV) and when asking doctors about MVP get such bland answers, like, well, it's just a benign defect, nothing to worry about....but never get an "unless" type answer. Like what does one watch out for besides the normal murmer, SOB stuff.

I ask because my 22 year old son had an echo (for a valve study, so free and not terribly thorough) and he was told he had MVP. I'm just not wanting to cloud up his insurance stuff as he's just now starting out, but of course I worry so dreadfully when stories like this come up. No murmer is detected and he's tall and thin and lanky so his internist said....well, with his body type, it doesn't surprise me.

What goes wrong basically? and are mitrals more susceptible to aneurisms?

Thanks guys!

Marguerite

 

[MikeHeim]

With an acute failure like this, I believe what happens is that the chordae (the threads that hold the leaflets in place) rupture and the valve can no longer close at all. I've never seen an exact cause explained, but I would assume that the rupture has something to do with elevated blood pressure from exertion. The last numbers I saw is that MVP occurs in 3-6% of the population and less than 2% of those people ever need surgery. Therefore, the rate of sudden death seems to be extremely low, even in marathons.

 

[LUVMyBirman]

I would think a chordae rupture would be a great possibility. My chordea was normal and in tact.....despite the fact I had severe MVP with regurig. Might be the difference between sudden death or not

 

[Marguerite53]

The last numbers I saw is that MVP occurs in 3-6% of the population and less than 2% of those people ever need surgery.

Ah. Very calming numbers. Thanks, Mike

Marguerite

 

[Marguerite53]

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000180.htm

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/mitralvalveprolapse.html

http://www.mitralvalveprolapse.com/INDEX.htm.htm


There are several others but these seem to have good detail information & additional links. Hope that helps.

Excellent reading. The MVPS is interesting. I can share these links with my son as he is certainly going to want me less and less to mother him!

Thank you very much.

Marguerite

 

[Soilman]

I've no experience with mitral valve issues, but with aortic, before the operation, my cardiologist was unconcerned with my running. In fact, he encouraged it. His only off-hand caution was "just don't go train for a marathon or anything". (I was only running 3-5 miles 4 days a week) I repeatedly asked him about running as my valve deteriated and he told me that there is very little risk with aerobic exercise. I suspect the case in the Chicago Marathon was rare and likely had something to do with the heat as well.

 

[Rush20]

I think this is just another example of exercise, when taken to an extreme, can have a negative (obviously) impact on your life. I know MVP is a different kind of disease than a bicuspid aortic or other failing heart valve. Whether or not runners know of this condition, it's obvious extreme exercise combined with extreme conditions can have horrible effects.

I was 40 when I had my OHS to replace my failing bicuspid aortic valve. I had always been active in sports and looking back, probably pushed myself beyond what I should have especially regarding weightlifting.

The weekend before by failing valve and resulting surgery was diagnosed, I played 12 tournament games of competitive softball in 90 degree heat. I remember drinking about 10 bottles of Gatorade and not having to go to the bathroom one time. During my pre-op surgery consultation, my surgeon told me I'm lucky to be alive considering my native valve had holes in it and could have failed or had a "catostrophic event" (Love that Term) at any time.

I just think post-op we all need to ratchet down the physical intensity in favor of more consistency and managed health. I'm not saying golf and shuffleboard only, but a more conservative approach. I know I can't tolerate humidity and my body over-heating post op like I used to.

 

[Cooker]

I'm not saying golf and shuffleboard only, but a more conservative approach. I know I can't tolerate humidity and my body over-heating post op like I used to.

You obviously ain?t never walked 18 hole is the mountains toting a iced down case of beer, full set of clubs and a large bucket of range balls

 

[BillCobit]

Can anybody enlighten me on this subject.
Thanks.

Well, here is a pub that may or may not be useful to you.

http://www.csmfoundation.org/36th_B...s_for_Athletes_with_Cardiac_Abnormalities.pdf

There is some interesting discussion in here and some stats, although many of us have found the recommendations to be inconvenient ( http://www.valvereplacement.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11738 ). I think it's mostly written from the doctor's CYA perspective.

MVP deaths are actually pretty rare. In a very small percentage of individuals, MVP apparently can trigger deadly arrhythmias under exercise stress. As far as I know from my own amateur research, this can't be reliably predicted.

There is an element of risk involved - it comes down to how you want to live your life.

Ooooh, look at the time...I'd better get going if I want to get my running done before work....

 

[aussiemember]

I have MVP and my cardiologist has always said exercise was OK APART from marathons and lifting heavy weights - apparently they put most strain on the heart and could cause chordae to rupture...