Study conducted by British Heart Foundation reportedly played a significant role in saving the life of the former UCI President.
In a groundbreaking study funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF), researchers investigated heart scarring and its association with abnormal heart rhythms in veteran male endurance athletes. One of the participants, Brian Cookson OBE, a former world cycling official and lifelong cyclist, benefited significantly from the research.
Cookson, who has been a part of the cycling world for years, participated in a study that focused on competitive cyclists and triathletes over 50 years old who had exercised intensively for at least 15 years. The research involved 106 healthy men who underwent heart MRI scans and were fitted with implantable loop recorders to monitor heart rhythms over a two-year period.
The study found that 47% of these veteran athletes had heart scarring, mostly in the left ventricle. This figure is more than four times higher than a matched group of non-athletes exercising moderately (up to three hours per week), who only showed 11% scarring. Importantly, athletes with scarring were over 4.5 times more likely to experience abnormal heart rhythm episodes, such as ventricular tachycardia, which are linked to a higher risk of sudden cardiac arrest.
During the study, over 20% of athletes had at least one episode of ventricular tachycardia, with most of these individuals having detectable scarring on their MRI scans. Three athletes experienced sustained episodes of potentially life-threatening arrhythmias, all of whom had pre-identified heart scarring.
Cookson, who was fitted with a small loop recorder after tests at the University of Leeds, experienced an "unusual episode" while training at the Manchester Velodrome last year. His maximum heart rate during the episode was 238 bpm, a worryingly high figure. He was later advised by researchers to stop doing anything strenuous and to get fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) due to an episode of ventricular tachycardia.
The ICD that Cookson now has functions like a smart pacemaker. It can give a shock to restart the heart if it stops and provide defibrillation in case of a heart attack. Cookson is grateful for participating in the BHF study, stating it might have saved his life.
Despite the setback, Cookson remains an avid cyclist. He has remained active since retiring and has regularly competed at a variety of events, including in the Gran Fondo World Championships. However, he now monitors his heart rate during exercise and backs off if it reaches around 150 bpm to avoid potential problems.
The researchers emphasized that while exercise is broadly beneficial for heart health, intense endurance training over many years may increase the risk of heart scarring and arrhythmias in a subset of older male athletes. The study calls for further research to identify those at risk and consider preventative measures, such as implantable defibrillators for those with both scarring and other risk factors.
The findings of this study are an important step towards helping people participate in sports safely. Cookson, who signed up for the study after seeing it advertised on a masters cycling Facebook page, encourages others to take their health seriously and seek medical advice if they have any concerns.
- The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF), focused on medical-conditions and chronic-diseases related to the heart in veteran male endurance athletes.
- The research was conducted on 106 healthy men, aged 50 and above, who had been engaging in fitness-and-exercise like competitive cycling and triathlon for at least 15 years.
- Heart scarring, mostly found in the left ventricle, was discovered in 47% of these athletes, a rate more than four times higher than non-athletes exercising moderately.
- Abnormal heart rhythm episodes, such as ventricular tachycardia, were over 4.5 times more likely in athletes with heart scarring, increasing the risk of sudden cardiac arrest.
- During the study, 20% of athletes had at least one episode of ventricular tachycardia, with most of those individuals having detectable scarring on their heart MRI scans.
- Brian Cookson OBE, a former world cycling official and lifelong cyclist, experienced an "unusual episode" while training, and his maximum heart rate was 238 bpm.
- Cookson was later advised by researchers to stop doing anything strenuous and to get an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) due to an episode of ventricular tachycardia.
- The ICD that Cookson now has functions like a smart pacemaker, capable of providing defibrillation in case of a heart attack and restarting the heart if it stops.
- Cookson continues to prioritize health-and-wellness and is grateful for participating in the BHF study, stating it might have saved his life.
- Cookson remains an avid cyclist and competes in events like the Gran Fondo World Championships, but he now monitors his heart rate during exercise and reduces the intensity to avoid potential problems.
- The study highlights the importance of taking personal-finance and personal-growth into account when deciding the level of fitness-and-exercise, as it may impact data-and-cloud-computing related medical expenses.
- The researchers suggest further investigations to identify those at risk of heart scarring and arrhythmias and to consider lifestyle changes or technology-based solutions such as implantable defibrillators for prevention.
- Education-and-self-development can play a significant role in understanding the risks associated with sports-betting and hobbies like football, hockey, golf, basketball, racing, and tennis, all of which can impact cardiovascular-health.
- As relationships can impact mental-health, open discussions about concerns related to health and fitness can help partners make informed decisions about their own personal-health and wellbeing.
- Home-and-garden activities can contribute to overall health-and-wellness, with gardening often known for reducing stress and better mental health, and proper nutrition from food-and-drink can also support cardiovascular-health.
