Exercise Prevents Heart Rhythm Disorder

Researchers studying more than 15,000 people report that higher physical fitness is linked to a lower chance of developing atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat that raises the risk of stroke fivefold. The study, presented at the ESC Congress 2023, used treadmill exercise tests to estimate fitness in metabolic equivalents (METs) and followed participants over time to see who developed heart rhythm problems or strokes.

For each one-MET improvement in treadmill performance the team found an 8% lower risk of atrial fibrillation, a 12% lower risk of stroke and a 14% lower risk of major adverse cardiovascular events. Because the study is observational it cannot prove that exercise directly prevents these outcomes, but the findings suggest that improving cardiorespiratory fitness may help reduce future heart rhythm disorders and related complications.