A large study has added to the evidence that exercise can have a protective effect on the heart.
The risk of heart failure can be lowered by 46% with either an hour a day of moderate exercise, or half an hour of vigorous exercise. Heart failure carries a 30% to 50% risk of death within five years of diagnosis.
Dr Kasper Andersen of Uppsala University in Sweden, and colleagues carried out the study. It included 39,805 adults aged 20 to 90 years, without heart failure at the start of the study in 1997. During follow-up, those who did more vigorous physical activity, such as competitive sports, had a lower risk of heart failure. Physical activity appeared to be equally beneficial for men and women.
In addition to exercising less on average, those who developed heart failure tended to be older, male, had lower levels of education, a higher body mass index and waist-hip ratio, and a history of heart attack, diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Full details appear today (3 September) in the journal Circulation: Heart Failure.
Dr Andersen said: "Physical activity lowers many heart disease risk factors, which in turn lowers the risk of developing heart failure as well as other heart diseases. You do not need to run a marathon to gain the benefits of physical activity – even quite low levels of activity can give you positive effects.
"The Western world promotes a sedentary lifestyle," he added. "There are often no healthy alternative forms of transportation. Making it easier and safer to walk, bicycle or take the stairs could make a big difference. Our research suggests that everyone could benefit from getting out there and moving every day."
Andersen, K. et al. Dose-Response Relations of Total and Leisure-Time Physical Activity to Risk of Heart Failure: A Prospective Cohort Study. Circulation: Heart Failure 3 September 2014; doi: 10.1161/CIRCHEARTFAILURE.113.001010
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