Exercise Holds Heart Health Benefits for Stress-Related Conditions WorldHealth.net
go to original April 3, 2022

5 Important Exercises for Heart Health (Body Hub)

Regular physical activity had nearly doubled the cardiovascular benefit in individuals with depression or anxiety, compared with individuals without these diagnoses, according to a study presented at the American College of Cardiology's 71st Annual Scientific Session.

The research findings add to mounting evidence that exercise improves cardiovascular health by helping to activate parts of the brain that counteract stress. Overall, the study found that people who achieved the recommended amount of physical activity per week were 17% less likely to suffer a major adverse cardiovascular event than those who exercised less. These benefits were significantly greater in those with anxiety or depression, who had a 22% risk reduction vs. a 10% risk reduction in those without either condition.

"The effect of physical activity on the brain's stress response may be particularly relevant in those with stress-related psychiatric conditions," said Hadil Zureigat, MD, a postdoctoral clinical research fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital, and the study's lead author. "This is not to suggest that exercise is only effective in those with depression or anxiety, but we found that these patients seem to derive a greater cardiovascular benefit from physical activity."

Rates of both depression and anxiety have risen during the COVID-19 pandemic, and heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the U.S. The study findings underscore the important role of exercise in maintaining heart health and reducing stress, according to the researchers.

For the study, researchers analyzed the health records of more than 50,000 patients in the Massachusetts General Brigham Biobank database. Just over 4,000 of the patients had suffered a major adverse cardiovascular event, which included experiencing a heart attack, having chest pain caused by a blocked artery, or undergoing a procedure to open a blocked artery in the heart.

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