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Does your fitness level, BMI, or body weight affect your risk of heart disease?

Does staying physically active really help protect your heart health?

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A man bending down on one knee in the middle of a workout.
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Research reveals that several factors affect your risk of heart disease, including a lack of physical activity, high blood pressure, diabetes, prediabetes, and obesity. Staying physically active has been shown to protect your heart health, and it’s an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Recently, researchers explored whether your body weight or your fitness level is a better predictor of your heart disease risk. Let’s delve into the research.

The study

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In a large meta-analysis of cohort studies published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, researchers reviewed 20 studies, including 398,716 adults from multiple countries. If individuals had an exercise test score higher than the 20th percentile in their age group, they were categorized as ‘fit’.  

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The objective was to determine the associations between muscle-strengthening and aerobic activities and the risk of non-communicable diseases like heart disease in adults.

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The results

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The meta-analysis revealed that heart and lung fitness are stronger predictors of mortality and heart disease risk than body weight as defined by body mass index or BMI. Your BMI is a value that estimates your body fat and weight status and categorizes that numerical value into a range from underweight to obesity. Each of these ranges has different health risks and BMI isn’t a direct measure of body fat.

Fit participants across all BMI categories had statistically similar health risks from heart disease. Unfit participants had a two- to three-times higher risk of mortality from heart disease by comparison to fit people of a normal body weight. Muscle-strengthening activities were linked to a 10-17% lower risk of cardiovascular disease, all-cause mortality, diabetes, and more. Combined aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities were also associated with a reduced risk. 

Study co-author Siddhartha Angadi said, “Fitness, it turns out, is far more important than fatness when it comes to mortality risk.”

Concluding thoughts

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The study authors found that those in a position similar to the bottom 20th percentile could make a big difference to their health by starting any aerobic or muscle-strengthening exercise. They recommend brisk walking multiple times weekly until you work up to around 30 minutes daily. The team behind this meta-analysis emphasized the value of a fitness-based approach rather than just a weight loss approach for obese and overweight individuals to boost their health and reduce their heart disease risk. 

More research is needed, but this meta-analysis indicates that your fitness level could be a better predictor of your heart disease risk than your body weight. While studies conclude that both of these factors play a role, fitness, and physical activity might be even more protective for your heart health. Your heart is one of your most important organs, and with all the proven benefits of exercise, you probably don’t need another reason to stay committed to that training schedule. 

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Steph Green
Steph Green
Steph Green is a content writer specializing in healthcare, wellness, and nutrition. With over ten years of experience, she…
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