Heart Arrest Risks during Marathons Higher for Men over 60

   Tokyo, Jan. 29 (Jiji Press)--A survey by a Japanese research team found that male runners aged 60 or older were the most likely of any age group to suffer cardiac arrest during citizens' marathons in Japan, showing some six times greater frequency compared with those aged 49 or younger.
   Female runners, on the other hand, did not tend to have an increased risk of heart arrest with age, according to the results of the survey conducted by the group of researchers led by Keio University Associate Professor Tomohiro Manabe.
   The survey covered 516 official full marathon races of the Japan Association of Athletics Federations that were held between April 2011 and March 2019.
   Approximately 80 pct of a total of some 4.1 million participants in the races were men. Of the 69 people who were struck by heart arrest, 66 were men.
   Cardiac arrest occurred in 1.7 per 100,000 participants. The frequency increased with age, standing at 0.9 people for those aged below 40 and 40-49, respectively, 2.6 for those aged 50-59 and 5.5 for those aged 60 or older. The increase is believed to be associated with angina and other conditions common among the elderly.

(2025/01/29-13:44)

To read a full story, please click here to find out how to subscribe.