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Marathoner's Heart Attack: Agent Orange Link?
2 Jan
Summary
- Olympian runner Jeff Galloway survived heart failure after his heart stopped.
- Galloway believes Agent Orange exposure may be a cause of his heart issues.
- He aims to complete a marathon in eight consecutive decades of life.

Eighty-year-old Olympic distance runner Jeff Galloway, a pioneer of the run-walk-run method, recently faced a life-threatening health crisis. In 2021, he experienced a heart attack leading to heart failure, with his heart stopping for four and a half minutes. Galloway and his doctors theorize that his past exposure to Agent Orange, a chemical used during the Vietnam War, might be linked to his coronary artery disease, as he served in the Navy and was exposed to the defoliant.
Despite these challenges and a subsequent broken kneecap, Galloway remains committed to his passion for running. He aims to complete a marathon, which would make him the first person to achieve this in eight consecutive decades. This quest is a personal testament to his own widely promoted philosophy that consistent training and strategic walk breaks enable anyone to run marathons.




