Push-ups "reveal" your risk of cardiovascular disease
Research shows that middle-aged men who can do more than 40 push-ups in a row will reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease by 96% compared to those who can do less than 10 push-ups, according to Mail Online.
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Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the world.
Currently, doctors mainly check men's risk of cardiovascular disease by having them run on treadmills.
But a new study from Harvard University (USA) has tested whether an exercise as simple as push-ups can provide clues to heart health.
Surprisingly, the results showed that the push-up test gave more accurate, faster, and more consistent results than the treadmill test.
No previous studies have examined the link between push-up ability and future cardiovascular events. Researchers already know that better fitness levels lead to lower rates of heart attacks.
The study involved 1,104 firefighters in Indiana (USA), with an average age of approximately 40 and an average body mass index of 28.7, between 2000 and 2010.
In the study, the team examined baseline performance on common fitness assessments such as push-up capacity and treadmill testing and its association with the incidence of heart attacks in a group of men working in a physically active job.
At the start of the study and at regular physical exams, they were tested on their push-up and resistance exercise capacity. Participants were then followed for a decade to see if they experienced a cardiovascular event, such as a diagnosis of coronary artery disease, heart failure, or cardiac arrest.
After 10 years of follow-up, results showed 37 outcomes related to heart attacks.
Except for one case that could do 40 push-ups continuously, all the remaining cases could do fewer push-ups than in the basic test.
Men who can do more than 40 push-ups in a row have a 96% lower risk of heart disease.
Participants who could do 11 or more push-ups in a row had a significantly reduced risk of heart attacks and strokes compared with those who could only do 10 or fewer push-ups.
This study found that push-up ability was inversely related to the risk of heart attacks within 10 years for men aged 21 to 66, said Professor Kales.
Therefore, push-up capacity, a simple, inexpensive measure, may help assess the cardiac functional status of middle-aged men.
And measuring push-up capacity is better at assessing cardiovascular risk than treadmill tests.
The findings provide evidence that push-up capacity could be an easy, free method to help assess cardiovascular disease risk, said study author Dr Justin Yang, from Harvard University.
The study provided further insights into the link between better physical fitness, specifically muscle strength, and the incidence of heart attacks in men over 10 years of follow-up.
This study highlights the importance of physical fitness for health and why clinicians should assess fitness during health screenings.
