7 Comments
User's avatar
David Saenger's avatar

Important to say that the list of conditions associated with elevated troponin is long. Similar studies have shown that patients commonly have elevated troponin after non-cardiac surgery, for example. These patients also probably have a worse long term prognosis. But it’s not clear what and how to intervene to improve their chances. Also, troponin is eliminated from the body by the kidney and mild, transient kidney failure is common after endurance exercise. Potentially confounding these results.

Expand full comment
Brady Holmer's avatar

Thanks for the insights David (as always!)

Expand full comment
Chris Fehr's avatar

I believe diet has more to do with plaque buildup in the arteries and over a lifetime endurance athletes may not have better diets however I didn't take from the article that endurance athletes have higher rates of heart disease than the general public.

Expand full comment
Brady Holmer's avatar

Higher than general public? No! I think though that the high rates despite seemingly healthy lifestyles (activity wise) are what’s concerning or even paradoxical.

Expand full comment
Chris Fehr's avatar

Thanks for the clarification. Someone somewhere is using this sort of information to justify not exercising but I'm sure there is an optimal level if longevity is the only goal.

I think it's worth looking closer at Lp(a), I've lost the source but it's linked to most early heart attacks, higher levels of fitness might push that a little later in life. About 20% of us have elevated values and it probably has a higher impact and skews most research on heart disease if it's not controlled for in the studies.

Expand full comment
G. Turner Howard III's avatar

Does life long high intensity endurance exercise predict cardiovascular adverse events? For an interesting segue to that query, Google bios on British marathoner Ron Hill, and American elite distance runners Bill Rodgers and Frank Shorter. In other words, more does not necessarily mean better. Balance is key: dietary, physical, spiritual, emotional.

C A M P E R S

Community…close associations, according to a recent Harvard study, were the biggest factor in health span

Attitude…positive

Movement…consistent throughout the day

Purpose…motivation to live

Education…not necessarily multiple academic degrees but lifelong curiosity

Resilience…every centenarians study reveals a robust grit

Sustenance…not supplements or substances, but real food in its original form, mostly plant-based in moderation

G. Turner Howard 111

Expand full comment
Brady Holmer's avatar

Love this! Thanks for sharing.

Exercise (physical activity) is certainly just one piece of a LARGE puzzle when it comes to longevity. :)

Expand full comment