'40 push-up test' linked with lower incidence of future cardiovascular disease
Last updated on: 16 February,2019 03:15 pm
Push-ups are concluded to be effective predictor of future heart health other than running.
(Web Desk) - Middle-aged men who are not able to complete ten push-ups are more likely to suffer from heart attacks or strokes, a study by a research team of the Harvard University has determined.
Furthermore, men who can perform more than 40 push-ups have been associated with a 97 percent reduction in risk of cardiovascular disease over the next 10 years. Moreover, being able to complete between 21 and 30 push-ups implies that such a group of men had around a quarter of the risk of conditions like coronary artery disease or heart failure, compared to others who could not manage even 10 push-ups.
According to the study authors wrote in journal JAMA Network Open, participants able to perform 11 or more push-ups at baseline had significantly lower risk of subsequent cardiovascular disease events.”
Push-ups are concluded to be effective predictor of future heart health other than running, and are simple to assess.
“Our findings provide evidence that push-up capacity could be an easy, no-cost method to help assess cardiovascular disease risk in almost any setting,” said study author Justin Yang, from Harvard’s TH Chan School of Public Health.
“Surprisingly, push-up capacity was more strongly associated with cardiovascular disease risk than the results of submaximal treadmill tests (where subjects run while their breathing is measured)”
Even adjusting for the different ages and weights of men in the experiment, the group found a link between doing more push-ups and longer-term health.
This is the first study to determine that push-ups can be an effective test for future cardiovascular disease risk, but independent experts warned its findings would need to be proven in other groups – this includes groups who are less active and in women.
“The narrowing of our arteries with fatty substances, which can eventually lead to heart attacks and strokes, starts early, often in our 20s and 30s. Keeping fit, no matter your age, is an important way to reduce your risk.” Professor Jeremy Pearson, associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation said.