Abstract
Competitive runners have been shown to develop previously undescribed clinical conditions, including “runner's anemia.” This has been shown to be an iron-deficiency anemia of several etiologies including gastrointestinal bleeding. Although 8–23% of runners have been shown to have guaiac-positive stools after a marathon, the incidence of significant and prolonged bleeding is unknown. We report four cases of competitive runners with iron-deficiency anemia, gastrointestinal bleeding coinciding with running, and no definitive gastrointestinal pathology despite extensive evaluation.
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Dr. McMahon is the recipient of a National Fund for Medical Education Postgraduate Fellowship.
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Fisher, R.L., McMahon, L.F., Ryan, M.J. et al. Gastrointestinal bleeding in competitive runners. Digest Dis Sci 31, 1226–1228 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01296524
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01296524