Exercise Could Cut Heart Health Risks in Half

Exercise Could Cut Heart Health Risks in Half

If you’re at risk for heart problems, whether it be due to blood pressure or age, exercise could mean the difference between cutting that risk in half, new research suggests.

People who have better cardiovascular health could have up to a 50 percent reduced risk of dying early compared to those how have poor cardiac health, according to a study by Henry Ford Hospital as part of the Ford ExercIse Testing Project, or FIT Project.

The study involved patients who underwent treadmill stress testing between 1991 and 2009 and using the results researchers measured both how the hearts transport blood and how the body uses oxygen as patients walked progressively faster and at steeper inclines.

Factoring in other risk factor for cardiovascular health such as age, gender, cholesterol, race, systolic blood pressure, smoking and diabetes, they were able to categorize the patients into three groups: low-, moderate- and high-risk.

Overall, from all three of the categories they found that participants with better cardio performance had a 50 percent reduced risk of dying compared to those with poor cardio performance.

Photo credit:  Nomad_Soul/Shutterstock

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