Why do fit racers have heart attacks and what can be done to prevent it?

You know how most exercise programs say you should go to a doctor before starting them?  I wonder how many people really do that?  I know I'm  quasi guilty of that.  I mean I started doing sports (track and field) when I was 7 and really never stopped doing sports or exercise of some kind since.  So it's just something that is in my medical files.  But how many people pick up a sport one day and never get checked out? 

Then the other side - just because you are "seemingly healthy" because you run doesn't mean that you can eat crap.  Not saying that is the Dr. mentioned by the OP, but I am ALWAYS getting on my sister about this.  She eats like trash b/c she's trying to keep her weight on when training for cross country/track seasons for college.  That can't be good either.  Gotta get the whole picture right.

But with all that said, bad stuff happens.  Go see your doc regularly and mention that you do endurance sports and talk to them.  Recognize the vices (drinking? smoking?) and that eating junk before the tri life has an impact.  And don't be afraid of the things you can't control.

Not to hijack, but you see the stuff Phelps stuff down his yaw?  Dude eats all kinds o'crap.

Unfortunately genetics have as much or more to do with heart attacks than exercise, fitness or lifestyle.  Running guru Jim Fixx was a prime example.

Always good to know your family history and then use that knowledge to plot a strategy with your doctor to reduce or minimize your risk factors. 

Mark

I asked my doctor on my last very recent visit if there was a test or scan that could tell me if I had any blockage due to my (family based) high cholesterol.  She told me that there was no 100% way to know no matter how many tests they do (none covered by my insurance as well).

 Exercise, see your Dr at least once a year and enjoy life while you can.

x 2 for sudden cardiac arrest

sudden cardiac arrest: sh*t happens. heart stops due to electrical malfunction.  essentially is not preventable. Even extensive screening may not identify a person at risk of sudden cardiac arrest...but you wouldn't get extensive screening because you probably wouldn't know you were at risk for sudden cardiac arrest.

heart attack: heart stops due to "chunk of gunk". preventable with healthy diet and exercise.

For older individuals, definately go to the doc to know what your cholesterol / blood pressure are looking like and the doc can tell you what level of exercise is healthy for you.

Just because you are thin doesn't mean you are truly healthy.

Usually in a lot of those cases it's genetic high cholesterol or something of that nature. Plaque in the arteries is NO GOOD.

AND, just because we run doesn't mean we should eat hamburgers - not saying this was done, but it just adds back into that whole plaque theory. Especially if you are predisposed...

 I'll have to mention that on my next visit.  Thanks for the tip.

And conversely, on CNN.com:

Study: Overweight doesn't always mean heart risks

This is all really interesting. A "nuclear stress test" sounds expesive - like your insurance company might crunch some numbers and decide it's cheaper to just let you have a heart attack...  ;-)  But I might check to see if they'll cover one someday.  Stroke/heart disease runs in my family. But NONE of them were athletes.  (Hence the reason I'm trying to spread the athlete bug to the younger members of my family.)

Perhaps a little "keep this on your radar and check things out with your doctor" while also doing your best to be prepared/at peace with the fact that "s++t happens" out of the blue sometimes is in order.

Everybody dies from something. Sad, for certain, but true.

Fit & Healthy does not equal immortal

All sorts of factors can lead to/cause a cardiac problem, your risk for heart problems may be higher/lower if you engage in particular behaviours, but risk is not a guarantee.