Have you ever wondered if a more physically fit adult with clogged coronary arteries might have a longevity advantage when compared to someone with the same degree of coronary blockage but with less physical fitness?
A study led by Mount Sinai researchers has shown that people who can exercise adequately during treadmill cardiac stress testing have a lower risk of premature death, regardless of the severity of coronary artery disease they may have.
The study, published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, shows the importance of physical fitness in predicting mortality risk – even in people with coronary artery plaque buildup.
Dr. Alan Rozanski, Professor of Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and lead author of the study, says in the paper that a person’s ability to exercise during a stress test provides a clearer distinction between low- and high-risk patients than do other common clinical factors (such as high blood pressure).
These results suggest that fitness plays a stronger role in determining long-term health outcomes than many existing risk factors.
How the Study Was Done
The study followed 15,562 patients for nearly seven years who underwent SPECT: myocardial perfusion imaging to assess blood flow to the heart.
Patients were divided into two groups: those who could perform treadmill exercise and those who could not.
Patients in the second group used medication to artificially dilate their heart’s arteries as a replacement for exercise.
In other words, the drug made the heart “think” that the body was exercising.
Study Findings
The findings showed that for those who could exercise on a treadmill, the annual death rate was under 1%, no matter how many heart disease risk factors they had, such as type 2 diabetes.
On the other hand, patients who were tested with medication had a much higher mortality rate.
Plus, the risk increased with the number of heart disease risk factors or other related health issues.
Cause and Effect
Although the study does not prove causation, Dr. Rozanski believes that the results strongly suggest that physical fitness plays a protective role against premature death in those with coronary artery disease.
The paper urges doctors to discuss exercise with their patients more often.
New guidelines recommend even small amounts of exercise throughout the day to improve health, and such activity can have substantial benefits for heart health.
These tidbits of exercise throughout your day should be activity that you normally would NOT do, so that they’ll really count towards improving your fitness.
Simple actions like short bursts of movement during the day can be effective in boosting cardiovascular fitness.
Examples of Daily Exercise Nuggets
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• Trotting across a parking lot with the shopping cart rather than walking, or walking as briskly as you can.
• Instead of walking up your staircase, trotting up it, or, climbing it two steps at a time.
• Jumping 10-20 times in place immediately after getting out of bed (but not before putting on your sneakers).
• Walking around the house for five minutes while holding five to 10 pound dumbbells at your sides.
• Doing 20 squats (thighs parallel to the floor, if possible).
• Five minutes of yoga flows.
Lorra Garrick is a former personal trainer certified by the American Council on Exercise. At Bally Total Fitness, where she was also a group fitness instructor, she trained clients of all ages and abilities for fat loss and maintaining it, muscle and strength building, fitness, and improved cardiovascular and overall health.
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