Healthcare

Researcher just find that marathon runner may give bad effect to heart condition, particularly to coronary calcification caused significant increase calcified plaque, including less increase the volume of noncalcified plaque and increase the higher calcium scores.

Some people treats their coronary artery plaque by following marathon runner group.
Running is good for healthy life, however, if this lifestyle become ‘long-term habits’, recent study showed give adverse effect.

The comparison study result between marathoners and control groups as following;
- the heart rate, BMI, and weight of the runners is lower compare with control group,
- the level of HDL-Cholesterol significant higher among the runners compare control group.

Presented at the American College of Cardiology 2010 Scientific Session, lead investigator, Jonathan Schwartz from the University of Colorado, Denver, said that this study showed training with long-term marathon running might lead to increase levels of calcification across the lifetime.

The investigator assess coronary artery plague in an elite group of marathon runners and compare their arteries with a control group, and underwent coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA). As per long term marathon runners, they identified 25 runners who completed marathon of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Twin Cities every year for 25 consecutive years, thus completing a minimum of 25 marathons.
For instance, they found significantly more calcified plaque volume (274 mm3) compare with controls (169 mm3), also less increase related to noncalcified plaque and calcium.

However, Schartz said the mechanism of increasing plaque in the arteries not clear and need to explored by other study.
He predicts the contributing factor such as metabolic and mechanical stresses may play the role, as long-distance runner train at increased heart rates and blood pressures, as well as spend increased time in an anaerobic state, possibly leading to antioxidant damage. Also, damage to the bones might lead to calcium leaking into the bloodstream.