Using data recorded on Fitbits as part of the All of Us Research Program, the study led by NYU Langone Health examined physical activity, including moderate exercise, from 6,000 Americans across the nation, focusing on atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation is a condition in which the heart’s two upper chambers beat rapidly and irregularly rather than at a consistent pace. If left untreated this type of arrhythmia can lead to stroke, heart failure, and other issues.
An earlier study using wearable activity monitors to investigate atrial fibrillation utilized Fitbit-style monitors that were given to the participants only tracked activity for one week and as a result may not have accurately captured the normal workout habits of the participants. However, this new investigation, which the authors say may be the largest of its kind to date, was designed to assess the participants for a full year and included only those participants who already owned the wearable fitness tracking devices.
Moderate Exercise Reduces Risks
According to the researchers, the results showed that those with higher amounts of weekly physical activity were less likely to develop atrial fibrillation. The researchers noted that even modest amounts of moderate to vigorous exercise ranging from cleaning the house to brisk walking or jogging to swimming laps were associated with reduced risk.
More specifically, those averaging between 2.5 and 5 hours of exercise per week showed a 60% lower risk of developing atrial fibrillation, and those averaging more than 5 hours had a 65% reduction.
But More Is Better
Additionally, adding an extra hour of physical activity every week helped to reduce the risk of developing this common type of irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) by 11%. The findings from this study will be presented at the annual meeting of the American Heart Association on November 16, 2024.
“Our findings make clear that you do not need to start running marathons to help prevent atrial fibrillation and other forms of heart disease,” said preventive cardiologist Sean P. Heffron, MD, the study’s senior author. “Just keeping moderately active can, over time, add up to major benefits for maintaining a healthy heart,” added Dr. Heffron, an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and a member of its Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology. Dr. Heffron also serves as the director of cardiovascular fitness and nutrition at the Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease at NYU Langone Heart.
Value Of Fitness Monitors
“These results highlight the value of Fitbits and similar monitors in medical research,” said study lead author Souptik Barua, PhD, an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. “By offering an objective way to measure exercise for years at a time, these tools can provide deeper insight into how different patterns of activity can impact health.”
Looking forward, the research team hopes to explore whether working out in the morning or at night may have different effects on heart health in a more diverse population.
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