A recent study in Norway published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, however, shows that regular workouts, especially in women, might help to reduce the risk of a fatal heart attack. The researchers looked at data from over 50,000 healthy adults from 1984 to 2004 and found that a woman's risk of suffering a fatal heart attack by the age of 70 climbed 18 percent with every 10 BPM (beats per minute) in resting heart rate. Among men, the risk for an attack rose by 10 percent.
At rest, a healthy heart has beats around 60 to 70 times per minute. If this rate goes above 80 BPM for long periods then it could be a symptom of a serious heart problem but unfortunately this elevated heart rate often goes undetected in those who are otherwise healthy.
In the Norwegian study, participants began by filling out questionnaires about their lifestyle and health. The researchers also measured their pulse and other physiological parameters.
By the conclusion of the 20-year study, over 10,000 of the subjects had died with around 40 percent dying from heart disease. The male participants with resting heart rates of over 100 BPM had a 73 percent greater chance of dying from a heart attack than those with resting heart rates in the 60 - 70 BPM range.
The subjects who exercised were found to have a significantly lower resting heart rate than the more sedentary participants. Even among those with resting heart rates of over 87 BPM, there were no significant increases in heart attacks among those who were the most active.
"The most promising thing that we found is that you can keep a check on your resting heart rate by engaging in physical activity," says Javaid Nauman of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim. He added that, to his knowledge, medications normally used to treat elevated heart rate, such as beta-blockers, have not been shown to have beneficial effects in otherwise health people.
Although this study strongly suggests that exercise is key to a healthy heart, it may not be the full reason behind it. Dr. Malcolm Arnold, a cardiologist of the University of Western Ontario who was not involved in this study, cautioned that it was not possible to determine exactly why there was a lower risk of heart attack since those who exercise might also have a better diet which also has significant effects on the heart.
