Good news for long-distance runners: The incidence of sudden cardiac arrest during marathons and half-marathons has remained relatively stable over the past 20 years, while the risk of death has declined by nearly 50%, according to a new study.
Researchers analyzed data from over 29 million participants in U.S. long-distance running races from 2010 to 2023, finding that the incidence rate of sudden cardiac arrest was 0.54 per 100,000 participants in 2000-2009 compared with 0.6 per 100,000 participants in 2010-2023.
However, the risk of death due to sudden cardiac arrest declined from 71% in 2000-2009 to 34% in 2010-2023. The study also found that men were more likely to experience sudden cardiac arrest than women, and marathons were more common sites for cardiac arrests compared to half-marathons.
Researchers attribute the decline in mortality rates to improvements in emergency action plans focused on immediate access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and early defibrillation. The study also showed that bystander CPR was performed in all cases where comprehensive etiologies were available, indicating a near universal use of AEDs and CPR.
The study’s lead author noted that while the incidence statistics are encouraging, there is still room for improvement in primary prevention strategies, particularly for high-risk demographics such as men who run marathons. The researchers aim to focus on developing new prevention strategies to further reduce cardiac arrest rates in long-distance runners.
Source: https://www.healio.com/news/cardiology/20250331/cardiac-arrest-rates-during-longdistance-running-races-relatively-stable-in-recent-years