Marathon runners, take heart -- your tickers may be OK

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There is good news and bad news to report about marathon runners and their hearts -- a new study shows that while some people may experience heart abnormalities after a race, those changes seem to be only temporary.

Previous studies on marathon runners have shown cardiac irregularities. One in the journal Circulation in 2006 found evidence of cardiac dysfunction and injury among 60 non-elite runners who ran the Boston Marathon, most notably in those who trained less than 35 miles a week.

The study, presented this week at the International Conference of the American Thoracic Society in San Diego, claims it’s the first to use cardiac magnetic resonance imaging after a marathon to test for heart injury. CMRI allows physicians to assess cardiac function and health.

Researchers from the University of Manitoba in Canada studied 14 casual runners who ran in the 2008 Manitoba Marathon. They were tested before the race for cardiac biomarkers that revealed the health of their hearts. After the race, they were given additional blood tests, plus echocardiograms and CMRIs.

The bad news: Results of the echocardiograms and CMRIs immediately after the race showed abnormalities on both sides of the heart. Also, the pumping capabilities of the right ventricle went from 64% to 43%. The good news: even though cardiac biomarkers were irregular after the marathon, researchers concluded that there was no sign of permanent injury to the heart muscle.

Plans are in the works by the researchers to conduct further studies to see if these abnormalities cause any permanent damage in people who run more than one marathon a year.

-- Jeannine Stein