Lowered Atherosclerosis Risk in Middle-Aged Men Linked to Youth Fitness

According to a study led by researchers at Linköping University, Sweden, men who maintained physical fitness in their youth had a lower risk of atherosclerosis nearly four decades later. The findings, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, suggest that atherosclerosis plays a role in the connection between physical fitness and cardiovascular disease.

Senior Associate Professor Pontus Henriksson from Linköping University stated, “Our results strengthen the notion that physical fitness is linked to health outcomes much later in life. The findings are worrying in the sense that there is a clear global trend indicating that young people are less fit now than when these study participants were young in the 1970s and 80s. Therefore, I believe that these findings may be even more important for those growing up now.”

– Pontus Henriksson, Senior Associate Professor, Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Linköping University

Being physically unfit at a young age is known to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease later in life, but the exact mechanism behind this correlation is not fully understood. Atherosclerosis, characterized by plaque buildup in the arteries, is a key risk factor for future cardiovascular disease. To investigate the link between physical fitness in adolescence and atherosclerosis later in life, the international research team conducted a study using data from the Swedish Military Conscription Register and SCAPIS (the Swedish Cardiopulmonary Bioimage Study).

The study involved nearly 9,000 men aged 50 to 64 years, with data collected from their conscription at age 18 between 1972 and 1987. By examining the coronary arteries using coronary CT angiography (CCTA), the researchers found that good cardiorespiratory fitness and muscle strength in youth were associated with a lower risk of atherosclerosis almost 40 years later. Additionally, the study looked at atherosclerosis in the large arteries from the heart to the brain using ultrasound.

While the study focused on men due to the historical context of military service in Sweden, the findings provide valuable insights into the long-term cardiovascular health benefits of maintaining physical fitness in youth. The study was supported by various funding sources and involved several researchers from Linköping University.