United States – New research reveals that physical activity reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease in part by reducing stress-related signals in the brain.
To evaluate the mechanisms behind the psychological benefits and protection from heart disease following physical activity, the team of cardiologist Ahmed Tawakkol, of the Center for Cardiovascular Imaging Research at Massachusetts General Hospital, analyzed the medical records of 50,359 participants.
A subset of 774 participants underwent brain imaging tests and measures of stress-related brain activity.
The research revealed that 12.9% of participants developed cardiovascular disease over an average follow-up of 10 years. It turned out that participants, who met physical activity recommendations, were 23% less likely to develop cardiovascular disease compared to those who did not meet these recommendations.
The researchers found that the cardiovascular benefit of exercise was greater in participants with pre-existing depression.
People with higher levels of physical activity saw a significant decrease in stress-related brain activity.
It is worth noting that the decrease in stress-related brain activity was the result of functional gains in the prefrontal cortex (the part that is involved in executive function), where stress centers in the brain are restricted.
Moreover, the decrease in stress-related brain activity partly explains the cardiovascular benefit of physical activity.
Future studies are needed to prove causality.
The research was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Source: Medical Express
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2024-04-18 11:52:01
