If you have high blood pressure, getting fit might not completely cancel out your risk for heart-related deaths, but it does make the situation better.
That’s what a study from the University of Eastern Finland suggests.
The study looked at data from 2,682 men, aged 42 to 61 years old, and checked in on them for nearly 29 years.
What The Numbers Say
According to the study, high blood pressure alone makes you more likely to die from heart-related issues. In scientific terms, the “hazard ratio” (or risk factor) is 1.39.
Now, if you’re not very fit, you have an even higher chance of dying from a heart problem, with a hazard ratio of 1.74.
Here’s where it gets interesting: If you have high blood pressure and low fitness levels, your risk more than doubles when compared to men with normal blood pressure and high fitness levels.
But, if you’re someone with high blood pressure who also maintains a high level of fitness, your increased risk drops a bit.
Fitness Matters, but Blood Pressure Still Counts
The take-home message? Being fit will reduce your risk but won’t completely eliminate it if you have high blood pressure.
Compared to men with normal blood pressure and high fitness levels, men with high blood pressure and high fitness still had an elevated risk, but it was less than for those who were unfit.
So, while exercising regularly and staying fit are good ideas for everyone, it’s especially important for men with high blood pressure.
“These findings add to growing proof that keeping up a high level of fitness throughout your adult years is key for lowering the risk of deadly diseases,” said the authors.
That said, exercise is not a substitute for other treatments like medication for high blood pressure, so consult with your doctor for a full treatment plan.
If you care about high blood pressure, please read studies that early time-restricted eating could help improve blood pressure, and natural coconut sugar could help reduce blood pressure and artery stiffness.
For more information about blood pressure, please see recent studies about added sugar in your diet linked to higher blood pressure, and results showing vitamin D could improve blood pressure in people with diabetes.
The study was published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.
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