The One Lifestyle Choice That Could Reduce Your Heart Disease Risk By More Than 22%

Recent studies highlight that certain cardiovascular risks remain beyond our control. Factors like age and genetic makeup are fixed and cannot be changed.

However, researchers emphasize that making subtle adjustments to diet and lifestyle can effectively reduce other potential hazards.

According to a new study, physical exercise may help protect against cardiovascular disease by lowering stress-related brain activity.

This new study led by investigators from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology suggests that individuals with stress-related conditions like depression may derive significant cardiovascular benefits from physical activity.

Dr. Ahmed Tawakol, a cardiologist and researcher at the Cardiovascular Imaging Research Center at MGH, along with colleagues, examined data from 50,359 participants in the Mass General Brigham Biobank who completed a physical activity survey.

Additionally, brain imaging tests were conducted on a subset of 774 participants to assess stress-related brain activity.

Over a follow-up period of approximately 10 years, about 12.9% of participants developed cardiovascular disease.

The study found that individuals who met recommended levels of physical activity had a 23% lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease compared to those who did not meet these recommendations.

Furthermore, higher levels of physical activity were associated with reduced stress-related brain activity, particularly in the prefrontal cortex—an area of the brain responsible for executive function and stress regulation.

The study also revealed that the cardiovascular benefits of exercise were more pronounced in participants with higher levels of stress-related brain activity, such as those with depression.

Dr. Tawakol, the senior author of the study, emphasized that “Physical activity was roughly twice as effective in lowering cardiovascular disease risk among those with depression.

“Effects on the brain’s stress-related activity may explain this novel observation.”

Source: 10.1016/j.jacc.2024.02.02

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