A comprehensive 29-year study, recently published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology has shed new light on the relationship between fitness levels, blood pressure, and the risk of cardiovascular death in men.
This research, led by Professor Jari Laukkanen from the University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, marks the first time the joint effects of fitness and blood pressure on cardiovascular mortality have been evaluated.
Globally, hypertension (high blood pressure) affects nearly 1.3 billion adults and is a leading cause of premature death and a major risk factor for heart attacks and strokes.
While previous studies have established a link between high cardiorespiratory fitness and increased longevity, this study uniquely explores how fitness interacts with blood pressure to influence the risk of death from cardiovascular disease.
The study involved 2,280 middle-aged men from eastern Finland, who were part of the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study.
Beginning between 1984 and 1989, the participants’ blood pressure and cardiorespiratory fitness (measured through maximal oxygen uptake on a stationary bicycle) were recorded. They were then followed until 2018, with an average baseline age of 53 years.
Over the 29-year median follow-up period, 644 cardiovascular deaths occurred.
The study adjusted for various factors like age, body mass index, cholesterol, smoking status, diabetes, coronary heart disease, alcohol consumption, physical activity, socioeconomic status, and inflammation markers.
The findings were revealing:
- High blood pressure alone was linked to a 39% increase in the risk of cardiovascular death.
- Low fitness levels independently were associated with a 74% higher likelihood of cardiovascular mortality.
The researchers then categorized the participants into four groups based on their blood pressure and fitness levels, ranging from normal blood pressure with high fitness to high blood pressure with low fitness.
- Men with high blood pressure and low fitness had more than double the risk of cardiovascular death compared to those with normal blood pressure and high fitness.
- However, high fitness levels in men with high blood pressure significantly reduced this risk, though it remained 55% higher compared to men with normal blood pressure and high fitness.
Professor Laukkanen highlighted that while high fitness levels mitigate the increased cardiovascular mortality risk associated with high blood pressure, they do not entirely eliminate it.
This underlines the strong and independent link between blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.
The study suggests that controlling blood pressure remains crucial for those with elevated levels. Additionally, improving fitness through regular physical activity and maintaining a healthy body weight is recommended.
This aligns with the ESC guidelines, which advise adults to engage in 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity weekly to reduce risks of death and illness from cardiovascular causes.
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 research findings can be found in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.
Copyright © 2023 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
