Poor Physical Activity Tied with Higher Heart Failure Risk

Low levels of physical activity can lead to a higher risk of heart failure, according to a new study.

The study, conducted by researchers at Kaiser Permanente Southern California Department of Research & Evaluation, found that sedentary lifestyle was associated with higher risk of heart failure in men. Their study was based on health records of 82,000 men aged 45 years and above, who were enrolled in the California Men's Health Study.

Heart failure is a condition in which the heart can't pump enough blood in the body. However, it doesn't mean that the heart has stopped working. The condition requires medical attention, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

In the present study, men who had sedentary lifestyle had two times higher risk of heart failure than men who had high levels of physical activity.

"Though traditionally we know quite a bit about the positive impact that physical activity has on cardiovascular disease, we know significantly less about the relationship between physical activity and heart failure. The results of this large study of a racially and ethnically diverse population reinforce the importance of a physically active and, importantly, a non-sedentary lifestyle for reducing the risk of heart failure," said Deborah Rohm Young, PhD, study lead author and researcher at the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Department of Research & Evaluation, according to a news release.

People should get at least 2 hours and 30 minutes (150 minutes) of moderate physical activity per week, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The study is published in the journal Circulation: Heart Failure.

Long work hours that involve sitting are linked with many health problems, including a reduction in life expectancy. An earlier article in the New York Times showed how sitting for long hours at a stretch could damage the body.