People who maintain or increase their aerobic fitness are at lower risk of hospitalization in the future, especially if they have been hospitalized before. This is according to the results of a study conducted at the University of Gothenburg.
Regular physical activity is associated with a number of health benefits, including a reduced risk of developing and dying from cardiovascular disease. However, there is little research on the relationship between the development of aerobic fitness and the likelihood of hospitalization.
The study in question, published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, included 91,140 individuals who underwent two re-assessments of their health profile at an occupational health service. These assessments include bicycle fitness tests, measurements of weight, height and blood pressure, and questions about lifestyle and health experiences.
The study compared changes in aerobic fitness between the two health profile assessments with subsequent hospital admission data from national registry data. The study looked at hospitalizations in general and hospitalizations specifically for cardiovascular disease over an average of seven years.
“Maintenance of Aerobic Fitness” associated with changes of up to plus or minus one percent per year. Baseline changes were classified as improved or worse aerobic fitness. The average time between participants’ tests was just over three years.
Important links to aerobic fitness
The results showed that the group that maintained aerobic fitness had 7% fewer hospitalizations for any reason during the follow-up period, and those with improved aerobic fitness had 11% fewer hospitalizations than those whose aerobic fitness improved. has worsened.
The difference was greater for participants who had previously been hospitalized. When aerobic fitness was maintained or improved in this group, the number of hospitalizations for any reason was 14% lower during the follow-up period compared to participants whose aerobic fitness deteriorated.
For hospital admissions due specifically to cardiovascular disease, maintaining aerobic fitness was associated with 9% fewer admissions, and increasing aerobic fitness was associated with 13% fewer admissions, compared with participants whose aerobic fitness has deteriorated. There was a 20% reduction in admissions due to cardiovascular disease during the follow-up period among participants who were previously hospitalized and maintained or increased their aerobic fitness.
All results were adjusted for changes related to aspects such as diet, smoking and perceived stress levels.
Results with clear health care relevance
Behind the study are the Sahlgrenska Academy and the Department of Food, Nutrition and Sports Science at the University of Gothenburg, the Center for Lifestyle Intervention at Sahlgrenska University Hospital östra, the Swedish School of Sports and Health Sciences (GIH) and the HPI Health Profile Institute, which is responsible for for the database of health profile assessments carried out by the occupational medicine service in 1986-2019.
Elin Ekblom Back, associate professor of sports science at the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences (GIH), is one of the authors.
“The connections show not only potential benefits for people’s health, but also an opportunity to influence societal and healthcare costs, as the average hospitalization costs just under SEK 100,000 per case,” she notes.
Mats Börjesson is professor of sports physiology at the University of Gothenburg, senior physician and director of the Center for Lifestyle Intervention, and senior author of the study.
“Increased physical activity, particularly among people who have been hospitalized, may reduce re-hospitalizations and therefore the greatly increased burden expected in health care in the future,” he concludes.
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Journal reference:
Griffin, F., et al. (2023). Maintaining or increasing cardiorespiratory fitness is associated with a reduced rate of hospital admission. European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. doi.org/10.1093/eurjpc/zwad367.
