Researchers gave participants in the United Kingdom an electronic device that tracked their exercise level and frequency for a week, in a large study of nearly 95,000 people.
The researchers later accessed the participants’ health records to see how their exercise data compared to any incidents of heart failure.
The researchers found that people who participated in moderate-intensity or vigorous exercise had a reduced risk of heart failure.
The study is the first to use exercise data compiled by a device rather than relying on the participants’ self-reported activity.
Since heart disease is a top cause of death, researchers are constantly looking for ways to reduce people’s likelihood of dying from heart failure.
A recent study published in the American Heart Association’s journal CirculationTrusted Source examined the benefits of moderate and vigorous exercise in reducing heart failure risk.
The cohort study is a first of its kind since it utilized data from devices that measure physical activity levels and followed up within six years to check on the participants’ health status instead of relying on self-reports from the participants.
Heart health quick facts According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Trusted Source, heart disease is the top cause of death for adults in the United States., surpassing cancer. Nearly 700,000 adults in the U.S. die from heart disease each year, which is 1 out of every 5Trusted Source deaths.
Some heart diseases include coronary heart disease, heart failure, and heart valve disease. These can all lead to cardiac arrest, which can be fatal.
The American Heart AssociationTrusted Source (AHA) defines heart failure, which is the basis of the study, as “a chronic, progressive condition in which the heart muscle is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs for blood and oxygen.”
The AHATrusted Source describes several factors that contribute to heart failure:
High blood cholesterol may increase a person’s heart failure risk since it causes plaque buildup in arteries, leading to a heart attack or stroke.
High blood pressure — hypertension can contribute to heart disease, and someone is considered at stage 1 hypertensionTrusted Source when their systolic reading is between 130-139 and their diastolic reading is between 80-90.
