OSLO, Nov 30 — New European research has found that even those who are fit and healthy with no signs of heart disease should still aim to improve their cardiovascular fitness if they want to avoid future problems.

Carried out by researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Norway, the new study looked at 4,527 fit and healthy men and women, aged between 19 and 89 with a mean age of 48.2, with no history of cardiovascular or lung disease, cancer or raised blood pressure.

Participants had their cardiorespiratory fitness assessed at the start of the study, which is the ability of the heart and lungs to supply oxygen to the muscles during exercise, and best measured by VO2max — which is the maximum amount of oxygen the body is capable of utilising in one minute, and one of the best indicators of future health and risk of premature death. 

The researchers also gathered information on participants’ tobacco use, alcohol consumption, family history of cardiovascular disease, physical activity, weight, height and waist circumference, blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

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The findings, published in the European Heart Journal yesterday, showed that after an average follow-up of nine years, greater cardiorespiratory fitness was linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, such as heart attacks.

In both men and women, the risk of cardiovascular events fell by 15 per cent for every extra unit increase in the measurement of cardiorespiratory fitness, called metabolic equivalents or METs, which measures an individual’s energy expenditure. One MET is defined as the energy it takes to sit quietly, while moderate-intensity activities burn around 3 to 6 METs, and vigorous-intensity activities burn more than 6 METs, with high-exertion activity such as running using about eight METs.

“We found a strong link between greater fitness and reduced risk of a coronary event during the nine years of follow-up in a very healthy sample of adults,” said study author Dr Bjarne Nes. “In fact, the participants who were in the 25 per cent of those with the highest cardiorespiratory fitness had nearly half the risk compared to those in the 25 per cent with the lowest fitness levels.”

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“This indicates that greater cardiorespiratory fitness protects against both chronic and acute heart and blood vessel problems,” said Dr Nes. “Even a small increase in fitness could have a large impact on health.”

“Our results should encourage the use of exercise as preventive medicine. A few months of regular exercise may be an efficient way of reducing the cardiovascular risk,” added lead author of the study, Dr Jon Magne Letnes. — AFP-Relaxnews