Physical Activity Reduces Heart Injury

Moderate physical activity in sedentary older adults reduces the progression of injury to the heart, submits Christopher DeFilippi from the University of Maryland Medical Center (Maryland, USA), and colleagues.  In a pilot study, 310 adults 70 years and older with a previously sedentary lifestyle, were randomly assigned to one-year supervised physical activity or to health education controls. The researchers measured troponin T, a blood-based injury marker which historically has been used for the diagnosis of heart attack was measured with a new high sensitive cardiac assay (hs cTnT).  The team observed that troponin T levels, measured at baseline and at one year, had more than a three times increase in the control population than in the exercise group.  The lead author posits that: "Our findings suggest biochemical evidence to support the old adage, 'You're never too old to start a physical activity program to improve cardiac health.'"