Risk factor no surprise
DEADLY Top endurance athletes put huge strain on bodies, says cardiologist
THIS week’s tragic death of ironman great Dean Mercer prompted an outpouring of emotion fitting of a man admired from afar and adored by those closest to him.
Amid the grief, however, there was also the shock that a 47-year-old, seemingly fit man who had dedicated his life to physical activity had been cut short by a cardiac arrest.
Respected former Bulletin sports writer Pat McLeod summed up the thoughts of thousands when he said: “His heart was huge and that’s what makes it so hard to believe that’s what eventually gave in”.
Dr Ross Sharpe has a different take.
“It’s less of a surprise for me,” the Gold Coast cardiologist said in the wake of Mercer suffering a cardiac arrest while driving home after an early morning training session at Kurrawa Surf Club.
“We know high-end, longterm endurance is absolutely a risk factor to death … anyone in that 40-plus age bracket is a (cardiac) risk but being an endurance athlete for many years does expose you to a number of cardiac conditions that can increase your chances of death.
“As a profession, we see and hear of it not infrequently.”
Countless tributes this week have highlighted Mercer’s incredible ability during his ironman career to push his body to limits few could match. Small in stature, he became a legend of the sport for taking on – and often taking down – bigger men such as Trevor Hendy, Zane Holmes and brother Darren.
And while Dr Sharpe is at pains to stress nobody yet knows what caused Mercer’s heart to fail, he has a warning for people older than 40 who have chased their physical endurance goals – and those who continue to.
“In general terms, there are a number of cardiac conditions that could lead to a premature, sudden death in fit people,” he says. “There’s a thing called athlete’s heart where you get marked thickening of the muscle because the heart has been working harder so much and that can lead to rhythm disturbances.
“Heavy, high-end endur- ance activity can also lead to structural changes in the heart muscle or random (cholesterol) plaque ruptures that bleed and form a clot.
“I’ve had very fit guys as patients in that 40-plus age group who I’ve advised not to continue pushing themselves and they’ve suddenly died. They