Saturday, March 28, 2009

Here's a warning for weekend warriors: Swim-bike-run triathlons pose at least twice the risk of sudden death as marathons do, according to a new study.

The research was presented Saturday at a cardiology conference in Orlando, Fla. The study found about 15 out of every million triathlon participants die of sudden death, usually from heart problems during the swim event. That's a low risk, but not inconsequential when several hundred thousand Americans participate every year.

Doctors advise having a checkup first to make sure you don't have hidden heart problems.