A study of more than 30,000 heart patients shows that getting active later in life can be almost as beneficial for survival as prolonged activity or exercise. From the University of Bern, Switzerland, Dr Nathalia Gonzalez says:
These encouraging findings highlight how patients with coronary heart disease can benefit by maintaining or adopting a physically active lifestyle. Regular physical activity is recommended for patients with heart disease. However, these recommendations are largely based on studies using either a single assessment or average activity levels over time. However, patients can change the amount of exercise they do overtime. Whether these changes are associated with survival remains unclear. The new study investigated activity levels over time and their relationship to the risk of death in patients with heart disease.
We can look at the content of the meta-analysis. The analysis included 33,576 patients with coronary heart disease. The average age of these people was 62.5, and 34% of the participants were women. The Median follow-up was 7.2 years. The activity was measured through questionnaires at baseline and at a later time, and participants were classified as active or inactive at two-time points. Definitions of active and inactive differed between studies; however, it was consistent with recommendations for healthy people. Accordingly, the recommendation was at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity per week.
Patients were divided into four groups according to their activity status at baseline and follow-up: inactive over time, active over time, increased activity over time, and decreased activity over time. All studies defined “increasing activity over time” as the transition from the inactive category to the active category, and “decreasing activity over time” as the transition from the active to the inactive category.
The researchers examined the risks of death from all causes and death from cardiovascular disease in four groups. Compared with time-inactive patients, the risk of death from all causes was 50% lower for those who were active over time, 45% for those who were inactive and became active, and 20% for those who were active and became inactive over time.
Similar results were observed for death due to cardiovascular disease. Compared with those who remained inactive, the risk of cardiovascular mortality was 51% lower for those who remained active and 27% for those who were more active. Cardiovascular mortality was not statistically different for those whose activity decreased over time compared to those who remained inactive. Dr Gonzalez says:
The results show that maintaining an active lifestyle over the years is associated with the longest lifespan. However, patients with heart disease can overcome previous years of inactivity and reap survival benefits by exercising later in life. On the other hand, if the activity is not sustained, the benefits of the activity may be weakened or even lost. The findings show the benefits of heart patients being physically active regardless of their previous habits. Moving is an action that is next to life and that is life itself. The first feature that an outsider would associate with vitality is active and optional movement. Although there is movement in “inanimate” systems such as wind or waves, movements that seem to be done preferentially, depending on certain needs of living things (for example, a person who is uncomfortable sitting on a hard floor, goes to a sofa!) is considered one of the most basic features of life. So, moving always makes us happy as much as it makes us more alive and lively.
Better yet, it’s to win while moving. Download the Fitlich app, which gives its users Fbute Tokens with the motto Move2Earn!
2. N. Gonzales. Physical Activity Trajectories Are Associated With The Risk Of All-Cause And Cardiovascular Disease Mortality In Patients With Coronary Heart Disease. A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis.
3.
4
This article is an excerpt from If You Think It’s Too Late to Start Active Sports, You’re Wrong! | by Karl Liebermann | Coinmonks | May, 2022 | Medium
