Medical Newsflash: Why You Should Update Your Medical Profile Regularly
16 January 2020
The importance of the pre-entry medical questionnaire, and why you should update your medical profile regularly
These days, with the world in such a rush, time given to exercise often falls by the wayside − but not for you. You’ve decided to commit to a regular exercise and training program, and to partake in Africa’s biggest running event by economic impact and what many consider to be the world’s most beautiful marathon. You’re already ahead of the game!
By training regularly, not only do you benefit from general body, mental and race fitness; but as a by-product you also reduce the risk of developing, or in some cases, prevent the progression of several lifestyle-related diseases. Exercise is a proven therapy in the prevention of non-communicable diseases including:
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Obesity
- Cardiovascular conditions (heart attacks, strokes, peripheral vascular disease)
- Diabetes mellitus (high blood sugar)
- Certain cancers
These diseases place a significant burden on an individual, the family and the health system as a whole, so awareness and education are crucial cogs in illness prevention. Despite the proven benefits of regular exercise in the prevention and control of the above conditions, it does not necessarily mean that you will never develop, or have any predisposing risk factors to them.
It is well known that many runners already suffer from and have significant risk factors for one or more of these conditions. It is precisely because of this reason that we stress the importance of completing your online pre-entry health questionnaire honestly. This will greatly assist us in being able to provide you with the appropriate and thorough medical care if required. Your safety is our primary concern.
The data captured from the pre-entry questionnaire has in fact already allowed us to identify and stratify some runners who are potentially at risk. You may have already received a private email, advising you on the best medical action plan for you specifically.
We ask that you follow the advice and see a relevant health care provider if necessary. After all, it is in your and our best interest to get you through the day incident-free.
Conditions and physical fitness change over time. If any aspect of your health has changed, you have been diagnosed with a new condition, you’ve changed medication, or recently been ill in the build up to the race, we ask you to please update your online health profile regularly. Again, this allows us to provide you with the best possible medical advice and treatment in the pre-race build up. It’s simple: login, update, and run in safe hands!
Keep up the good work!
The TOM medical team
