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Incidence of death during jogging in Rhode Island from 1975 through 1980
Insights
Jogging deaths are rare, with one death per 7,620 joggers annually. While exercise may trigger sudden cardiac events in susceptible individuals, the overall risk remains small.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Sports Medicine
- Public Health
Background:
- Sudden cardiac death during exercise is a concern.
- Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a leading cause of death.
- Understanding exercise-related mortality risks is crucial for public health guidelines.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the incidence of death during jogging.
- To assess the risk of sudden death associated with jogging.
- To evaluate the necessity of pre-exercise screening for healthy individuals.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of jogging-related deaths in Rhode Island (1975-1980).
- Telephone survey to estimate jogging prevalence in men aged 30-64.
- Calculation of death incidence per jogger and per man-hour of jogging.
Main Results:
- 12 male deaths occurred during jogging between 1975-1980; 11 were due to coronary heart disease (CHD).
- Approximately 7.4% of men aged 30-64 jogged at least twice weekly.
- The incidence of death during jogging was 1 per 7,620 joggers/year, seven times higher than during sedentary activities.
Conclusions:
- Jogging poses a small risk of sudden death, primarily from CHD in susceptible individuals.
- The low incidence of exercise-related death suggests routine pre-exercise testing for healthy individuals is not warranted.
- Public health messaging should balance the benefits of exercise with awareness of potential risks for specific populations.
Abstract:
In the six years from 1975 through 1980, a total of 12 men died during jogging in the state of Rhode Island. The cause of death in 11 was coronary heart disease (CHD). One man died of an acute gastrointestinal hemorrhage. The prevalence of jogging in the Rhode Island population was determined using a random-digit telephone survey. Among men aged 30 through 64 years, 7.4% +/- 2.6% (mean +/- SEE) reported jogging at least twice a week. The incidence of death during jogging for men of this age group was one death per year for every 7,620 joggers, or approximately one death per 396,000 man-hours of jogging. This rate is seven times the estimated death rate from CHD during more sedentary activities in Rhode Island and suggests that exercise contributes to sudden death in susceptible persons. The occurrence of only one death per 7,620 joggers per year demonstrates that the risk of exercise is small and suggests that the routine exercise testing of healthy subjects before exercise training in not justified.