You can still improve your heart health by up to 90 percent by starting or increasing physical activity later in life, regardless of your age. 

Dr.  Dietrich Rothenbacher, a researcher at University of Heidelberg, says it's never too late to get physical: "Changing from a sedentary to an active physical activity pattern, even if initiated at an older age, may result in a strong reduction of coronary heart disease risk."

Of course, he adds, lifelong physical activity is the most beneficial, but don't think that going from coach potato to avid walker, runner or gym fan later in life won't benefit you.  

From 'very inactive to very active' yielded most benefits

In the United States, however, only a third of the men and a fifth of the women get the recommended 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on most days of the week. Even fewer people 65 and older are active, according to federal health statistics.

Meanwhile, Rothenbacher and other German researchers in their study found that people who:

•  exercised very little or none at all were most likely to have heart disease;
 
•  started physical activity in their 40s generally cut their risk of heart disease by more than half;

•  exercised avidly from their 20s through their 40s lowered their risk of heart disease by 62 percent, when compared to lifelong sedentary counterparts;
 
•  went from being very inactive to very active enjoyed a 90 percent lower risk of heart disease than people who remained sedentary.

Differences between heart patients, healthy people 

During the study, 312 patients 40 to 68 with coronary heart disease and 479 healthy individuals in the same age range described the extent of their physical activity when they were 20 and going up to their present ages.

Nearly 11 percent of the patients were rarely active when they were younger and kept sitting around as they grew older. That compares to only 6 percent of the healthy participants. Furthermore, only 5 percent of the patients with heart disease who were inactive said they become somewhat or very active later in life.

The study appears in July's Heart journal.

In an editorial accompanying the article, Dr. S. Goya Wannamethee, a researcher at London's Royal Free and University College, writes that the results prove that even light exercise makes a difference in your heart health.

"The level of exercise required to achieve benefit may be dependent on age, sex, and the level of fitness," he says. "Among those at the lower end of the spectrum of physical activity, moderate intensity activity is sufficient.

"In those more active or physically fit or younger, vigorous activity may be needed to provide additional benefit."

Source: Heart

Nubella News, a division of Marketing Technology Solutions, Inc., offers content intended for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. We encourage our readers to seek prompt medical care for health issues and consult their physicians before starting a new diet, fitness regimen, or medical treatment.

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