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Poor
Fitness Increases Risk of Heart Disease
Poorly-fit young adults are three to six times more likely
to develop diabetes, high blood pressure and other ailments
in middle age that put them at greater risk of heart disease
or stroke, according to a study.
The study in the Journal of the American Medical Association
found that increasing fitness decreased the risk by as much
as 50 percent. The study was published in the Journal's
December 17 issue.
"If all the young adults in our study had been fit,
there would have been nearly a third fewer cases of high
blood pressure, diabetes and metabolic syndrome," said
Mercedes Carnethon of Northwestern University, lead author
of the study.
"Given the epidemic of obesity in the United States
and the decline in peoples physical activity, its important
that Americans take steps to improve their physical fitness."
Heart disease and stroke are the first and third leading
causes of death for Americans. According to the National
Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, nearly 13 million Americans
have heart disease and nearly five million have had a stroke.
The study is the first major one to research how the role
fitness plays in the development of coronary risk factors
in healthy young adults. Researchers tracked more than 4,400
men and women between the ages of 18 to 30 for 15 years,
but about 2,500 had their cardiopulmonary fitness retested
after seven years to measure changes in fitness.
Fitness was measured with an exercise treadmill test.
Article Source: Reuters Health
Article Author: N/A
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