Healthy lifestyle reduces risk of heart failure
Tuesday July 7th, 2015
People who are active and maintain a healthy lifestyle can reduce their risk of heart failure, a long-term study has confirmed.
A
US study that tracked 4,500 men and women aged 65 and over for up to 21
years found that those who did not smoke, had modest alcohol intake, maintained
a healthy weight, and did regular exercise were half as likely to develop
heart failure as those who did just one or none.
During the study, which is published in Heart Failure, more than 1,300 participants suffered heart failure.
Professor Jeremy Pearson, associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation, said: “This research shows that not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, and getting plenty of exercise are associated with a significantly reduced risk of heart failure, a really debilitating disease.
“We know that even small changes can make a big difference to your heart health, and it’s never too late to start.
“In its severest form heart failure has a life expectancy worse than many cancers, which is why funding more research is vital if we are to give hope to those suffering with it. Recent advances in regenerative medicine have made mending damaged hearts a realistic goal, but we must fund more research to make this happen.”
Del Gobbo LC et al. Contribution of Major Lifestyle Risk Factors for Incident Heart Failure in Older Adults: The Cardiovascular Health Study. Heart Failure 6 July 2015
Tags: Fitness | Heart Health | North America | UK News
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