Higher amounts of physical activity tied to better heart function
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, April 17, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Too much sedentary time among adolescents may increase their heart size, according to a study published online April 10 in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports.
Andrew O. Agbaje, M.D., M.P.H., from the University of Eastern Finland in Kuopio, used data from 530 adolescents (aged 17 years) participating in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, U.K. birth cohort.
Agbaje found that higher sedentary time was associated with higher left ventricular mass indexed for height2.7 (LVMI2.7) among females, but higher sedentary time was associated with lower left ventricular diastolic function in males. There was an association between higher sedentary time and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity with higher LVMI2.7 overall and among normal-weight adolescents and those with overweight/obesity. There was an association observed between light physical activity and higher left ventricular diastolic function overall and among normotensives, but with lower left ventricular filling pressure among adolescents with high lean mass.
“This novel evidence extends our knowledge of the adverse effects of sedentary time on cardiac health. It is known among adults that a 5 g/m² increase in cardiac mass may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and death by 7 to 20 percent,” Agbaje said in a statement. “Engaging in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity also slightly enlarged the heart but it seems an acceptable ‘negative side effect’ considering several other health benefits of moderate-to-vigorous exercise.”
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