Do these studies scare you from participating?

I've read several articles online and in magazines about how marathons can be dangerous for some. Usually these people at risk are male with a history of heart disease, but many of these people have a congenital heart defect that is not detected until they're on the autopsy table. Now I've come across this article about how triathlons are even more dangerous than marathons, particularly during the swimming portion of the race. I don't know about anyone else, but I'd almost rather not see these kinds of studies. I would hate to think that people are not exercising as much as they could be because they're scared. Just go visit your doctor before engaging in a training program for something as strenuous as a marathon, and take his/her advice! All you have to do is mention that you want to train for whatever event you have in mind and ask if you are at risk for anything. They'll take a look at your records and you and let you know if you're okay. More than likely you are. Sometimes they might suggest that you ease into training if you're overweight or really really out of shape. Either way, at least you'll go into training well prepared.