Fitter People in Their 70s Faced Less Heart and Stroke Risk
Graded Moderate — researchers followed 1,547 older adults for about ten years with directly measured fitness; as an observational study it shows a link, not a cause.
- Design
- Prospective cohort study
- Participants
- 1,547
- Duration
- 10 years
- Funding
- Research Council of Norway; K.G. Jebsen Foundation; NTNU; Central Norway…
Fitter adults aged 70 to 77 had a lower risk of serious heart and blood vessel events over roughly ten years.
Being fit still seems to matter for the heart after 70. In a Norwegian study of women and men aged 70 to 77, the fitter ones were less likely to have a serious heart or blood vessel event. The researchers counted the first of these: a heart attack, a stroke, heart failure or death from heart and circulation disease.
The team directly measured how much oxygen the body of each of 1,547 older adults could take in at full effort. This number is a standard measure of endurance fitness. The least fit fifth of men and of women counted as unfit. Over roughly the next ten years, fit women had a 41 percent lower risk than unfit women, and fit men a 24 percent lower risk.
People who stayed fit over one year also had a lower risk than those who stayed unfit throughout, though these figures are quite uncertain. Because the study only observed people, it cannot show whether more exercise in later life lowers the risk. The authors propose fitness cut-offs to help judge risk in older adults, but these still need testing in other groups.
Disclaimer: Research summaries are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your health routine.