People with stress-related conditions such as depression see the most cardiovascular benefits from exercise, research has suggested.
A study has found that physical activity can reduce the risk of heart disease as it lowers the stress-related signalling in the brain.
Data from more than 50,000 people was evaluated, with a section of participants also undergoing brain imaging tests and brain activity measurements.
- Younger adults feel older when stressed
- Mindfulness can protect against stress in the digital workplace
- Threat from stressful incidents associated with health problems
The study, from Massachusetts General Hospital, found that over a follow-up of, on average, 10 years, almost 13% of participants had heart disease.
Those who exercised according to recommendations had a 23% reduced risk of developing the condition compared to those who didn’t.
The findings also showed that people who exercised more were more likely to have lower stress-related brain activity.
In addition, these reductions in part accounted to the heart disease benefit of physical activity.
Cardiologist and senior author Ahmed Tawakol said: “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.
- Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity triggered by childhood stress
- Inflammation triggered by stress linked to metabolic syndrome
- Curiosity boosts memory better than a stressful mindset
“Prospective studies are needed to identify potential mediators and to prove causality. In the meantime, clinicians could convey to patients that physical activity may have important brain effects, which may impart greater cardiovascular benefits among individuals with stress-related syndromes such as depression.”
Read the study in Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
