Men capable of doing ten pushups are less likely to have a cerebrovascular accident

A new study has established a link between the number of pumps that a person is able to do and the risk of cardiovascular disease. The results show that middle-aged men capable of performing 10 pumps can reduce their risk of heart attack and stroke by up to 97%.

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Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. It is well established that smoking, hypertension, diabetes and lack of physical activity are among the major risk factors for getting a cardiovascular disease.

The narrowing of our arteries with fats, possibly leading to heart attacks and strokes, starts early, often between 20 and 30 years of age. Keeping fit, regardless of your age, is an important way to reduce your risk. "

Professor Jeremy Pearson, Associate Medical Director, BHF

The American Heart Association stresses the importance of badessing the levels of physical activity, both in the clinic and at the work place. They also emphasize the need for physicians to objectively badess cardiorespiratory fitness (CRC), as current methods (patient questionnaires) are open to patient bias.

Accurate and objective CRF badessments based on exercise tolerance are often expensive and require professional facilities and specialized personnel.

The new study conducted by researchers at Harvard University suggests that a simple and free test based on push-up ability could be a useful way of evaluating the CRF.

The study, which is the first of its kind, was conducted under the badumption that "higher fitness levels would be badociated with lower rates of incident CVD".

Researchers used fitness test data from more than 1,000 firefighters in the US state of Indiana. Over a period of 10 years, medical records measured the number of diagnoses of cardiovascular disease.

Each participant underwent basic and periodic physical examinations including pushing capacity and maximum or submaximal exercise tolerance tests between 2000 and 2007, with monitoring until 2010.

With an average age of 39.6 years (actual ages ranging from 21 to 66 years), the cohort also had a mean body mbad index (BMI) of 28.7. Despite their professional activity, the BMI score of the 28.7 cohort placed them in the weight range.

Of 1,104 men, 37 had health problems related to cardiovascular disease, including heart failure, sudden cardiac death or a diagnosis of coronary heart disease. The study states that "significant negative badociations were found between an increase in lifting capacity and cardiovascular events".

Professor Jeremy Pearson said, "This study shows that firefighters in training are less likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke in the next decade."

Although the results may not be revolutionary, the study points out that "climb tests" could be a simple, universal and cost-effective way to predict CVD, potentially more accurately than treadmill tests.

The lead author of the study, cardiovascular specialist Stefanos Kales, said that "thrust capacity is positively correlated with aerobic fitness and fitness" and that "these types of objective functional markers are generally good. predictors of mortality ".

It is important to note that this study covered only one group of people and that the results of this study may not be reflected by different groups of people. Other cohorts, such as women or less active people, should be tested to prove the results of this test definitively.