[ad_1]
Wednesday, June 27, 2018 (HealthDay News) – If you're middle-aged, you can not only protect depression as an elderly person, but also die from heart disease if you develop depression, a new study suggests.
Among patients with nearly 18,000 Medicare patients, the most fit were 16% less likely to develop depression, the researchers found. The most fit people were also 56% less likely to die of heart disease if they developed depression and 61% less likely to die from heart disease if they did not suffer from depression.
"There is a well-known link between depression and cardiovascular disease," said lead researcher Dr. Benjamin Willis, an epidemiologist at the Cooper Institute in Dallas.
People with heart disease are at higher risk for depression, and depressed people are at greater risk of having a heart attack later in life, he said.
Willis added that it 's been an observational study, so he can not prove that the fit prevents depression or that the physical condition reduces the risk of dying from death. heart disease if we diagnose depression.
Dr. Satjit Bhusri, a cardiologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, said, "Patients need to know, however, that depression and fitness are not only intertwined, but can also result in organic changes in their risk of developing a disease. cardiac disease. Bhusri was not involved in the new study.
Willis pointed out that fitness can reduce the risk of depression and heart disease even for long periods.
But only 50% of Americans abide by the minimal guidelines for aerobic activity – 150 minutes of exercise a week, Willis said.
The good news is that the benefits of exercise come into play regardless of your age when you start, he added.
"It's never too late to leave the couch," Willis said. Examples of moderate to vigorous activities include walking, jogging, swimming and cycling.
"Always consider your own health condition and check with your doctor before embarking on a new physical activity program," he warned.
For the study, Willis and his colleagues collected data on 17,989 healthy men and women, average age 50, who visited a clinic for a preventive medical examination when they were of age way. Data were collected from 1971 to 2009. Study participants were eligible for health insurance from 1999 to 2010.
[ad_2]
Source link
