While scientists have long known that exercise increases survival rates for individuals enduring a heart attack, a new study by researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology has revealed that exercise habits are also linked to the coping ability of individuals during the aftermath of heart attacks.
Among people who experience heart attacks, depression is three times more common compared to those that have never experienced one. However, the current study reveals that those with higher levels of regular exercise before their heart attack are less likely to be depressed afterwards.
"Physical activity protects people from depression after a heart attack," Linda Ernstsen, lead author of the study, said in a press release.
Ernstsen and her team used data from the Nord-Trøndelag HUNT studies in order to gain information on 120,000 people throughout three different time periods: 1984 to 1986, 1995 to 1997, and 2006 to 2008. This data gave the team insight into the health of a large group of people over time and allowed them to link these changes to various lifestyle factors, including exercise.
In particular, the team narrowed in on 189 middle-aged and older individuals that participated in all three HUNT studies and experienced their first heart attack after their participation in the second study. They deemed physically active individuals as those who exercised for either a minimum of 150 minutes per week at a moderate intensity level or 75 minutes at a high intensity level.
The results showed that among people who never exercised, over 17 percent were depressed after their heart attack, making this the most depressed group in the study. Furthermore, those who exercised during their first study period but stopped during the second showed a 12.5 percent rate of depression after their heart attack.
Conversely, those who exercised regularly throughout the three studies showed the lowest levels of depression after their heart attack, with just 7.5 percent of participants suffering from it. Interestingly, even participants who did not exercise at the beginning but did so during the second study fared better, with only 9.1 percent of them suffering from depression after their heart attack.
The team also highlights the fact that even starting late is beneficial and those who start exercising regularly in their old age still enjoy great benefits.
"It's never too late to start exercising," Ernstsen said.
The findings were published in the January issue of The American Journal of Medicine.
