People can help reduce their odds of developing atrial fibrillation or stroke through one piece of standard medical advice: stay fit. According to a new study in 15,000 people, physical fitness was found to have a lower likelihood of these conditions. The findings will be presented this weekend at the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2023, in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. “This was a large study with an objective measurement of fitness and more than 11 years of follow-up. The findings indicate that keeping fit may help prevent atrial fibrillation and stroke,” study author Dr. Shih-Hsien Sung, of the National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University in Taipei, Taiwan, said in a meeting news release. Research participants did not have atrial fibrillation, or a-fib, an irregular and often rapid heart rhythm, at the study start and were referred for a treadmill test between 2003 and 2012. Researchers assessed their fitness using the Bruce protocol, where each person was asked to walk faster and at a steeper grade in successive three-minute stages. Then the team calculated participants’ fitness according to the rate of energy expenditure the participants achieved, which was expressed in metabolic equivalents (METs). The study followed the participants, who started at an average age of 55, and of whom 59% were male, looking for new-onset a-fib, stroke, myocardial infarction and death. After adjusting for other potentially…  read on >  read on >

Walkable neighborhoods — with sidewalks, parks and paths — encourage pregnant women to get more exercise, which leads to good outcomes for both mom and baby. New research looks at the influence of these walkable communities on this activity, which is considered safe for pregnant women. “Gestational diabetes is a growing issue and low birth weight and preterm babies are always a concern, they can just have so many more complications,” said Karen Conway, a professor at University of New Hampshire Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics. “At the end of the day, the data shows walkable communities mean mom and the baby are both in better health.” To study this, Conway and co-author Andrea Menclova, associate professor of economics at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, combined walkability measures created by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with federal government data on physical activity and pregnancy outcomes. A 10-point increase in the walkability index — the equivalent of transitioning from the “least walkable” to the “most walkable” category — was associated with a more than 70-minute increase in weekly exercise among pregnant women. That same change increased the likelihood of a full-term birth by almost a full percentage point. It also led to a 27-gram (nearly 1 ounce) increase in birth weight; a 27% reduction in likelihood of gestational diabetes, and…  read on >  read on >

Women who have larger breasts tend to exercise less or less intensely, according to a new study that suggests having breast reduction surgery could be a game changer. Australian researchers looking at exercise participation for women in this category called for more accessible, publicly funded breast reduction and other interventions. The study used survey results from nearly 2,000 women who were in the involved in the Parkrun program, which promotes 5K running and walking events. Participants were in Australia, England and South Africa. Women with bigger breasts reported that reducing their breast size would improve their exercise performance and frequency. And among the survey participants, the 56 women who had already undergone breast reduction surgery said they lead healthier and more active lifestyles. “Women who had undergone breast reduction reported increased overall frequency, enjoyment and willingness to exercise in a group,” said lead author Dr. Claire Baxter, a clinical registrar in reconstructive surgery at the Flinders Medical Centre in Bedford Park, Australia. “Our study found that breast size affects exercise habits and that breast reduction surgery changes their willingness to exercise,” she said in a Flinders news release. The study promotes the importance of regular exercise for weight and ischemic heart disease and also points out barriers for Australian Government subsidies for reduction mammoplasty. “As well as the need for patients to have macromastia [enlarged…  read on >  read on >