|
|
March
9,
2011 -- 9:15pm EST
Wanted: Marathoners with Stents, Pacemakers,
Heart Valves
Medtronic
(NYSE: MDT) has made its yearly announcement that
it is looking for runners from around the world who have benefited
from medical technology to participate in the company's 6th
Annual Medtronic Global Heroes program. I "liked" this event
on their
Facebook page because the idea of people living their lives
to the fullest after having a catastrophic medical crisis,
and being rescued by modern medical technology, goes right to the
(okay...pun coming...) heart of the matter.
For example, former honorary captain for this program
is Alberto
Salazar,
a world-renown marathon champion. Salazar is 52 and in 2007
collapsed from sudden
cardiac arrest. He was revived
via
CPR
and
received an
implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) to treat arrhythmia.
He continues to train runners and had three participating in
the Beijing Olympics. He is "committed to spreading
the word about running and living safely with a chronic health
condition."
As I've written before, I am always amazed by the people
who continue their athletic activities after having a device implanted
(most could outrun me with no difficulty -- but that's
another story...).
Our Forum Topic, "Exercise,
Sport, Physical Activity After Stent",
has the stories of scores of stent and heart patients who continue
to run, ride horses, etc. We even recently connected with Kevin,
an IronMan AAA stent graft athlete, who is continuing to train after
receiving this life-saving device, although AAA Stent graft patients
are not eligible for the Medtronic Marathon, at least not for now.
Sorry, Kevin...but maybe next year!
Anyway, we applaud the invitation to heart patients.
So often, after people discover they have coronary artery disease,
a significant and understandable depression can set in: they feel
their lives are over. Studies confirm that depression itself is a
risk factor for heart disease. So it's not just a PR event. It is
clinically important -- efficacious, as we say in the medical field
-- to see
events like
the Global Heroes
Marathon.
To apply or recommend someone to be a 2011 Medtronic
Global Hero, visit
medtronic.com/globalheroes.
Good luck!
|
|
|