¡You get it! Scientists define method to reduce risk of premature death

The increase in physical activity in middle-aged people can reduce the risk of premature death caused by heart failure in just 6 years, concluded the researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (USA). In parallel, leading a sedentary lifestyle during that same period of time is associated with an increased risk of suffering from this type of ailment.

Applied to everyday life, the recommendation is equivalent to "150 minutes of moderate or vigorous activity per week, such as walking fast or cycling".

This practice "could be enough to reduce the risk of heart failure by 31%" in middle-aged people, according to Chiadi Ndumele, lead author of the study. However, if the person did not lead an active lifestyle beforehand, the risk reduction of heart failure during the recommended 6 years is estimated at 23%.

The experts reached these conclusions after analyzing the levels of physical activity over nineteen years of more than 11,000 American adults whose average age was 60. During the course of the study, they observed different cases of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks, strokes and cardiac insufficiencies.

"We do not have drugs to prevent heart failure"

However, the researchers caution that their study, published in the journal Circulation, was observational, meaning that the results do not show a direct cause-and-effect link between exercise and heart failure. At the same time, they highlight that the observed trends suggest that it is never too late to reduce the risk of heart failure through moderate exercise.

And, "unlike other risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol, we do not have specifically effective drugs to prevent heart failure," said Roberta Florido, a cardiology fellow at the Ciccarone Center Johns Hopkins, so it must "identify and verify effective strategies for prevention and emphasize this to the public".

In general, people who are more physically active have lower risks of heart failure than those who are less active, a point corroborated by several studies, Florido said.