Keeping Aging Muscles Fit Is Tied to Better Heart Health Later

A study in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health found middle-aged men can reduce the risk of heart disease by up to 81 percent by keeping their muscles healthy, reports the New York Times . The researchers analyzed data from an ongoing Greek study focused on the causes of cardiovascular disease in Mediterranean men and women, looking specifically at 1,019 people at least 45 years old. Most subjects were older than 55, and nearly 27 percent of that cohort developed heart disease, at an incidence rate roughly six times higher among men than women. Participants' muscle mass at the beginning of the study was associated with their chances of heart disease later, and those with the most muscle then were the least likely to have heart disease now. There is no indication that an abundance of muscle tissue directly wards off heart disease, nor is there clarity on how muscle helps protect the heart. However, Stefanos Tyrovolas at the Sant Joan de Déu Research Institute thinks the metabolic effects of the tissue are likely to contribute, and the key takeaway of the study is that "muscle-mass preservation, through physical exercise and an active lifestyle," is likely vital to protecting the heart in middle age — especially among men.