'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAHAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQG/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAwT/2gAMAwEAAhADEAAAALs0LJ//xAAfEAABAwQDAQAAAAAAAAAAAAACAwQRAAEFEgYTFUT/2gAIAQEAAT8AQHCLMhPy2AnrE2bDSzPjPcc4PGTtf5Rr/8QAFBEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP/aAAgBAgEBPwB//8QAFBEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP/aAAgBAwEBPwB//9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Heart failure is a significant concern for individuals who have experienced a heart attack. It often leads to a decreased quality of life and increased risk of mortality.
While various factors contribute to development of heart failure, a recent study has shed light on an unexpected factor that plays a crucial role in reducing this risk: strong leg muscles.
This groundbreaking research emphasizes the importance of physical fitness beyond cardiovascular health and highlights the potential benefits of targeted leg muscle training in post-heart attack recovery.
How strong leg muscles can help prevent heart attack?
The study analyzed the strength of the quadricep muscles in the front of thighs of 932 people aged 57 to 74 who were hospitalized due to a heart attack between 2007 and 2020.
Trending
Researchers found that the incidence rate of subsequent heart failure was higher, at 22.9 per 1,000 person-years among patients whose quadriceps were measured to have low strength, compared to an incidence rate of 10.2 per 1,000 person-years among those with high quadricep strength.
The findings highlight the importance of regular exercise and maintaining muscle strength in older age, as muscle mass can diminish with age, possibly affecting cardiovascular health.
The study also suggests that strength training involving the quadriceps muscles should be recommended for patients to prevent heart failure.
Key findings
This study helps build the case that increased muscle strength can have benefits for the heart.
After a heart attack, the heart can go through a process called myocardial remodeling or cardiac remodeling, in which fibrous tissue accumulates, causing an enlargement of the heart.
However, exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation can alter the course of such remodeling in a way that improves heart function. The aforementioned study's authors suggest that myokines, which are peptides or chains of amino acids released by muscle fibers, may play a role in attenuating cardiac remodeling.
Recent studies have shown that skeletal muscles also release myokines, cytokines that have various effects, like preventing progression of atherosclerosis, stabilizing blood pressure and preventing development of age-related diseases.
Maintaining skeletal muscle itself can be associated with reduced risk of developing heart failure via myokines, but the detailed mechanism is unclear. The study's authors suggest that more research is needed to better understand the relationship between muscle strength and heart health.
The findings of this new study suggest that exercise may help reduce risk of developing heart failure following a heart attack. Regular exercise may reduce that risk by as much as 61%.
Whether you're recovering or have been diagnosed with heart failure, working towards strengthening leg muscles can have a significant effect on overall heart health.
