Study Finds Exercise Reduces Heart Disease Risk by Alleviating Stress
April 30, 2024
Recent findings suggest that physical activity plays a pivotal role in reducing cardiovascular disease risk by attenuating stress-related brain signaling. Led by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, the study highlights that individuals with stress-related conditions, notably depression, derive substantial cardiovascular benefits from exercise.
To unravel the underlying mechanisms linking psychological well-being and cardiovascular health, Ahmed Tawakol, a cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, and colleagues scrutinized medical records and activity surveys of 50,359 participants from the Mass General Brigham Biobank. Additionally, a subset of 774 participants underwent brain imaging tests to measure stress-related brain activity.
CREDITS: HARVARD