Physical Fitness And Heart Disease 1

Whether Regular Physical Fitness Helps To Avoid Or Prolong Heart Disease In All
Populations 50 Years And Younger In The United States.

Cassandra R Babington

University of North Florida

Physical Fitness And Heart Disease 2

Heart disease is the leading cause of death among both men and women and it is

noted that every year there are about 610,000 deaths in the United States due to factors

associated with Heart Disease (Raab, 1964). After conducting an extensive amount of

research on the topic, studies show strong associations between physical fitness and heart

disease. Many cases studied showed that the more physical activity engaged in, the better

your chance for not developing symptoms associated with heart disease itself, and in

some cases, improvement if previously diagnosed. The same can be said about lack of

physical exercise, which can lead to cardiovascular disease along with many other

chronic diseases. (Raab, 1964). Physical activity and exercise training are strategic

components for prevention of cardiovascular disease. During one study in particular, they

discuss why physical activity and exercise training is crucial in preventative cardiology.

Preventative care is the best way to save money and save your health and the best way to

prevent things such as heart disease is through regular physical activity. According to the

same study published by Trachsel in 2016, preventative care improves survival, reduces

hospital admissions, helps improve cardiorespiratory fitness, and quality of life.

The next noted reference examined some previous research with the association

of cardiorespiratory fitness with risk of coronary heart disease. The study examined

nearly thirty thousand men over a span of twenty-three years. Their results stated,

compared with men without incident CHD, men with incident CHD were older (mean

age, 51.6 years vs. 44.6 years), had lower average maximally achieved fitness (Gander,

C. 2015) In previous studies done, they have examined the association between the two

through longitudinal studies. A noteworthy finding of one study written by Holtermann

stated that those with the combination of high OPA (occupational physical activity; i.e. at
Physical Fitness And Heart Disease 3

work) and low self-reported cardiorespiratory fitness has more than six times excessive

risk of CVD mortality and more than a doubled risk of all-cause mortality in comparison

to those with low OPA and high self-reported cardiorespiratory fitness.

Although there has been an extensive amount of research done on the association

between the two, there is not enough evidence to support causation. According to the

findings of one article done by Matheson, the research puts forwards a strong case for the

immediate, increased involvements of clinical sport and exercise medicine in the

prevention of chronic disease. This illustrates that the association is strong between the

two, prevention and decreased risk, but has yet to be determined to be a cause or in this

case a cure. The aim of this review is to determine whether there is an association

between regular physical fitness and prevention of heart disease. If regular physical

fitness is incorporated, then it is expected that the risk of heart disease be decreased

overall.

The first study looked at published by Raab, Prevention of Degenerative Heart

Disease By Physical Activity, and the second published by Holtermann, Importance for

cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality, both examine the prevention aspect

behind physical activity and heart disease. Looking at cardiovascular disease as a whole,

the majority of the time it is treated as a reactive measure, meaning something is done

about it after being diagnosed. The first study published by Raab states that there is a

strong relationship between lack of physical exercise and incidence of heart disease.

Same goes for the study published by Holtermann, those with low self-reported

cardiorespiratory fitness are at greater risk for developing cardiovascular disease. These

two articles highlight the importance for staying physically active to help not only
Physical Fitness And Heart Disease 4

prevent but to reduce the severity of symptoms associated with cardiovascular disease. A

study published by Trachsel not only focuses on the importance of daily physical activity

but also incorporation of exercise training. The study states that physical activity and

exercise training are two central components for the primary and secondary prevention of

cardiovascular disease. Unlike the three previous studies mentioned above, the next noted

reference Association of Cardiorespiratory Fitness with Coronary Heart Disease

published by Gardner focuses on men alone. Additional research notes that although

heart disease is the leading cause of death among both men and women, there is a rapid

increase in cardiovascular disease among middle-aged men. (Weidner, G. 2003)

Cardiorespiratory fitness was analyzed and was categorized as low or moderate or high

then the results were compared with men with and without incidence of cardiovascular

disease. The men who fit in the moderate to high cardiorespiratory fitness category

reported less incidence of cardiorespiratory disease than those with low cardiorespiratory

fitness. These results are similar to the first two discussed in which they all three studies

show a strong association between increased cardiorespiratory or physical activity and

decreased incidence of heat disease. Vincenzo published an article describing the

association between a sedentary lifestyle and chronic diseases among all populations,

analyzing diseases such as type two diabetes, multiple cancers and ischemic heart

disease. Smoking, obesity and physical inactivity are a primary cause of most chronic

diseases and a sedentary lifestyle contributes heavily go the increase of chronic and

degenerative diseases (Vincenzo, 2016) This article somewhat contrasts what has been

stated in the previous articles in the way that it is believed that individuals do not need to

engage in vigorous or extensive physical fitness, but simply get physically active
Physical Fitness And Heart Disease 5

throughout the week, this includes walking and stretching. Individuals can achieve this

level of physical activity in their daily lives by substituting a car ride for a walk, or taking

the stairs instead of the elevator.

The overall goal of this review was to determine whether regular physical fitness

helps to avoid or prolong heart disease in all populations 50 years and younger in the

United States. My hypothesis at the beginning of this review was that there would be a

decreased incidence in cardiovascular disease if regular physical fitness was incorporated

and all the literature used supported this hypothesis. Highlighted in multiple studies

mentioned throughout this review state that cardiorespiratory exercise is a central

component to primary prevention of heart disease in both men and women and also

played an important role in managing or relieving some symptoms associated with

cardiovascular disease. As much as I was trying to find evidence in these studies that

supported my hypothesis, I also looked for studies that refuted it but was unsuccessful.

The vast majority of the articles studied strongly supported the theory that regular

physical fitness does help to avoid and prolong heart disease in all populations. Physical

activity and cardiorespiratory fitness is something that public health practitioners should

be more active in when it comes to treating patients. If we as public health professionals

begin treat patients before they are exposed to risk factors that may predispose them to

certain diseases such as cardiovascular disease, we can greatly decrease the incidence

overall. Encouraging patients to become more active in their every day physical activity

can overall improve quality of life, either before or after diagnosis of chronic diseases

such as cardiovascular disease.

Physical Fitness And Heart Disease 6

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Physical Fitness And Heart Disease 7

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