Unfit, lean teens at lower heart attack risk later in life than fit, obese counterparts

A new study has revealed that physical fitness in your teens can reduce the risk of heart attack later in life, suggesting that unfit, lean men are better protected against heart attacks than fit, obese people.

In the study, Gabriel Hogstrom, Anna Nordstrom and professor at the Department of Community Medicine and Rehabilitation, Geriatrics, at Umea University, Peter Nordstrom, analyzed data from 743,498 Swedish men who received a medical examination at the age of 18 when they were conscripted into national service from 1969 to 1984.

The men's fitness level was measured with a bicycle test in which the resistance was gradually increased until they were too exhausted to continue. The men were monitored for an average of 34 years until they suffered a heart attack or died or until 1 January 2011, whichever came first.

The study showed that being physically fit in your teenage years reduces the risk of a heart attack later in life.

Fit but overweight or obese men also ran a significantly higher risk of suffering a heart attack than unfit, lean men.

"While being physically fit at the end of your teens can reduce the risk of heart attack, fitness alone does not appear to fully compensate for the risks with being overweight or obese. In other words, having a normal weight is more important than being in good physical shape, but it is even better to be both fit and have a normal weight," Nordstrom said.

The study showed that with every 15 percent increase in physical fitness, the risk of suffering a heart attack 30 years later is reduced by around 18 percent after factoring in different variables such as socioeconomic background and Body Mass Index, BMI.

The results also indicate that regular fitness training late in your teenage years is consistent with a 35 percent lower risk of a premature heart attack.

The study was published in the European Heart Journal.