07/09/2026
You just finished a 5K. Your heart may still be at risk.
Summer has a way of making us feel invincible. The longer days, the outdoor workouts, the sense of momentum — there’s a particular confidence that comes with being physically active, and it’s not entirely misplaced. But in nearly four decades of medicine, I’ve learned that feeling well and being well are not the same thing. Sometimes, they’re dangerously far apart. If you’re a runner, you probably remember Jim Fixx — he helped make running a national movement. He died of a heart attack at 52 during his daily run. He looked like the last person at risk. He wasn’t.
A few years ago, a patient came to me — a successful business owner, active, training for a triathlon. He had been anxious after starting the swim and it never went away. He had recently passed a standard cardiac stress test and been given clearance by his cardiologist. We looked further.
www.feldmed.com/blog-2/you-just-finished-a-5k-your-heart-may-still-be-at-risk