Push-up test may help predict heart disease risk

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of deaths worldwide. The term cardiovascular disease is used for conditions related to heart health including heart attacks, irregular heartbeat or damage to different parts of the heart.

It is generally believed that heart diseases occur in old age or at least in middle age. However, in recent years, the rate of heart diseases among young people has increased significantly.

High blood pressure, high cholesterol and smoking are considered major risk factors for heart diseases but lifestyle changes also play an important role. That is why early diagnosis is very important as it can help prevent serious complications.

Now it has been revealed that instead of blood tests, a simple exercise can provide useful information about heart health. A study conducted by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that push-up performance can indicate heart health.

The aim of the study was to find an easy way to assess the health of coronary arteries. For this purpose, 1,104 firefighters were included in the study and their health was monitored over a period of 10 years. Their average age was 40 years and researchers recorded how many push-ups each participant could perform at one time.

Heart rate was also monitored during push-up performance and cardiovascular disease cases were analyzed over the 10-year period. During the study period, 37 cases of heart disease were recorded. The findings showed a clear link between a higher number of push-ups and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.

Participants who could perform more than 40 push-ups had up to a 96% lower risk of heart disease. Similarly, doing 11–20 push-ups reduced the risk by 64%, 21–30 push-ups by 84% and 31–40 push-ups by 75%. In contrast, those who could only do 0–10 push-ups showed a 15% higher risk of heart disease over the 10-year period.

Researchers said this exercise does not only benefit the upper body but is a full-body activity that reflects overall muscular endurance. They added that it helps reduce body weight, normalize blood pressure, lower bad cholesterol, blood fat levels and blood glucose levels—all of which contribute to cardiovascular risk.

They also acknowledged that the study had limitations as it was conducted on firefighters who are generally more physically active and most people cannot perform 40 push-ups at once.

However, they noted that incorporating push-ups into a routine can improve heart health over time and the number can be gradually increased. The study results were published in the journal JAMA Network.