People who maintain or increase their aerobic fitness are at less risk of being hospitalized in the future, a recent study shows. This is particularly true if they were hospitalized previously. Read more here.
Regular physical activity is linked to a number of health benefits, including a reduced risk of developing and dying from cardiovascular disease. However, there has been little research into the link between development of aerobic fitness and the likelihood of being hospitalized.
A recent study, published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, includes 91,140 individuals who underwent two repeated health profile assessments in the occupational health service. These assessments include fitness tests on a bicycle, measurements of weight, height and blood pressure, and questions about lifestyle and health experiences. The study compared changes in aerobic fitness between the two health profile assessments with data on subsequent hospital admissions, from national registry data. The study looked at hospitalizations in general and hospitalizations specifically for cardiovascular disease, for seven years on average.
The results show that the group that maintained aerobic fitness had 7 percent fewer hospitalizations for any reason during the follow-up period, and those with improved aerobic fitness had 11 percent fewer hospitalizations, compared to those whose aerobic fitness deteriorated. Maintaining aerobic fitness related to changes of up to plus or minus one percent per year. Major changes were classified as improved or poorer aerobic fitness. The average time between participants’ tests was just over three years.
The difference was greater for participants who had previously been hospitalized. When aerobic fitness was maintained or improved in this group, the number of hospitalizations for any reason was 14 percent lower during the follow-up period, compared to participants whose aerobic fitness deteriorated. For hospital admissions due specifically to cardiovascular disease, maintaining aerobic fitness was associated with 9 percent fewer admissions and increasing aerobic fitness was associated with 13 percent fewer admissions, compared to participants whose aerobic fitness deteriorated. There was a 20 percent reduction in admissions due to cardiovascular disease during the follow-up period among participants who were previously hospitalized and maintained or increased their aerobic fitness.
This article is based on a press release by The Swedish Research Council. You can find the original publication here and by following the link in our text.
Image source: Frank Flores, unsplash
