Annals Internal Medicine, Author Interviews, Exercise - Fitness, Heart Disease / 19.09.2017

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Kevin M. Harris, MD Director, Fellowship Training; Director, Echocardiography Allina Health, Minnesota MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Triathlon is a popular endurance sport which combines swimming, bicycling and running. We investigated the death rate in the triathlon since its inception in the United States in 1985 through 2016. Specifically we were able to look at the rate of death in USAT races from 2006 to 2016. We identified 135 deaths/cardiac arrests over the time period. 85% of victims were male and victims averaged 47 years. Most deaths and cardiac arrests occurred in the swim. 15 of the deaths were traumatic occurring during the bike portion. The rate of death was 1.74 per 100,000 participants. The death rate was significantly higher for males than females and increased significantly for men > 40 years. On autopsy, nearly half of those victims were found to have significant cardiovascular disease. (more…)
Aging, Author Interviews, Exercise - Fitness / 30.09.2014

Associate Professor Dafna Merom Ph.D Physical Activity and Health University of Western Sydney Penrith NSW AustraliaMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Associate Professor Dafna Merom Ph.D Physical Activity and Health University of Western Sydney Penrith NSW Australia   Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Merom: In a cohort of 1667 older Australian men (mean age 76.8 years) data on incident falls were  collected every four months by telephone interview. We compared the rate of falling over 48 months of follow-up of  men who participated in  golf, Calisthenics, lawn balls, aerobic machines and swimming.  We  found that only swimming was associated with 33% reduction in falls occurrence. We also found that swimmers performed better on balance tests in our baseline measurements. In particular on the postural stability test and for  those whose leisure activity was  only swimming, apart from walking and other lifestyle activities. (more…)