Atrial fibrillation is a common heart problem that messes up the natural rhythm of your heart.
Over 40 million people around the world have it, and it’s such a widespread issue that one out of every three people in Europe will likely face it at some point.
If you have atrial fibrillation, you’re five times more likely to have a stroke compared to people who don’t. Given its risks, a new study asked a simple question: can staying fit help you avoid this condition?
The Study: Fitness Tests and What They Reveal
The research involved more than 15,000 people, aged around 55 on average, who had never been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation. They took part in a treadmill test between 2003 and 2012 to measure their physical fitness.
The treadmill test was designed to get gradually harder—faster and steeper—to push people’s fitness levels.
The idea was to measure how much energy people used up during the test, which gave the researchers a good idea of their overall fitness level.
For more than 11 years, these people were tracked for any new heart issues, strokes, or deaths. The study took into account other factors like age, cholesterol levels, and past health history to make sure the findings were solid.
Key Findings: The Fitter You Are, The Better Your Odds
The results were pretty clear: the better shape you’re in, the lower your chances of developing atrial fibrillation and having a stroke.
Specifically, every small increase in the fitness test was linked with an 8% lower risk of atrial fibrillation, a 12% lower risk of stroke, and a 14% lower risk of other major heart-related issues.
The researchers also grouped people based on their fitness scores into low, medium, and high fitness levels.
Those in the medium and high fitness groups were almost equally likely to avoid atrial fibrillation over five years—around a 98.4% chance for both.
Even those in the low fitness group had a 97.1% chance of not developing atrial fibrillation, which is still pretty good but not as good as being in better shape.
The Takeaway: Exercise for a Heart-Healthy Future
Dr. Shih-Hsien Sung, who led the study, emphasized how it was one of the largest of its kind, using objective fitness measures and a long period of tracking people’s health.
The message is simple: staying physically fit can be a key part of avoiding serious heart issues like atrial fibrillation and the risks that come with it, like stroke.
So, if you needed one more reason to lace up those sneakers and hit the gym, this could be it.
If you care about stroke, please read studies about how to eat to prevent stroke, and scientists find a breakfast linked to better blood vessel health.
For more information about health, please see recent studies about how the Mediterranean diet could protect your brain health, and how wild blueberries can benefit your heart and brain.
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