title: Running out of brain.
abstract: Stroke is the third most common cause of death after coronary artery disease and cancer in the UK, and running is a popular form of exercise, and increasingly, people are participating in large scale endurance events such as marathons and half-marathons. We describe here two cases of young men suffering a stroke after running a marathon and who were subsequently found to have a patent foramen ovale (PFO). We have reviewed the existing literature concerning stroke in those undertaking long-distance running, and suggest why PFO may have been important etiologically in our two patients. We tentatively suggest that individuals with a PFO who engage in long distance running may be at increased risk of stroke, independent of other cerebrovascular risk factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology Imperial College Hospital, London, UK - jeban@doctors.org.uk.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ganesalingam
authors.forename: I H
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Jenkins
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vaughan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012420:Running; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*