Regular physical activity is well known to strengthen the heart, but many people with atrial fibrillation worry that exercise could be unsafe.
New research suggests the opposite may be true. Staying active was linked to a lower risk of stroke and a longer life, even for people living with this common heart rhythm disorder.
Atrial fibrillation happens when the upper chambers of the heart beat in a fast and irregular way. This irregular rhythm can allow blood to pool inside the heart, increasing the chance that a clot will form. If a clot travels to the brain, it can block blood flow and cause a stroke.
Researchers from UiT The Arctic University of Norway wanted to learn whether physical activity changes these risks. They analyzed health information from more than 87,000 adults who participated in two major Norwegian population studies and followed them for around 15 years.
Participants described how often they exercised, how long they exercised, and how intense their exercise was. During the follow-up period, the researchers recorded new cases of AFib, strokes, and deaths using national health registries.
The results consistently favored people who stayed active. Compared with inactive adults, those who exercised had a lower chance of both stroke and death, even after accounting for many other health factors.
Adults with moderate activity had the greatest reduction in stroke risk, while those with the highest activity levels had the largest reduction in overall mortality. Even low levels of exercise provided measurable health benefits.
The pattern remained the same among people who had AFib. Those who stayed physically active were estimated to live about half a year to 1.2 years longer than inactive people with the same condition.
Lead researcher Dr. Kristoffer Johansen said the findings should encourage both doctors and patients because meaningful health benefits were seen even with relatively small amounts of exercise. This suggests that people do not need to become athletes to improve their health.
Current heart health guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise, together with strength training twice weekly. Walking, cycling, swimming, dancing, and gardening can all contribute toward these goals.
The researchers caution that the study cannot prove exercise directly prevented strokes because it was observational. People who exercise regularly may also eat healthier foods, avoid smoking, or have other habits that improve health. In addition, activity levels were based on participants’ own reports.
The study was published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
This research is one of the largest studies to examine exercise and AFib over many years. Its size and long follow-up strengthen confidence in the findings, although randomized clinical trials would be needed to establish direct cause and effect.
Even with that limitation, the results provide reassuring evidence that regular physical activity is likely to be an important part of maintaining heart health for people with or without AFib.
Source: UiT The Arctic University of Norway.
