- A new study has found that older adults with obesity who combined aerobic exercise with a moderate reduction in calories had greater improvements in cardiovascular health than adults who opted for exercise only, or exercise with a more restrictive diet.
- The study looked at aortic stiffness, a measure of vascular health, which affects cardiovascular disease.
- Improvements in overall heart health can have a variety of benefits, including reduced risk of heart attack and stroke.
We’ve all heard the mantra: Diet and exercise are the best ways to lose weight, suggesting that weight loss is the most important indication of overall health.
But that mantra can be frustrating to hear when taking these steps doesn’t translate to lost pounds.
According to a new study, however, taking steps to eat fewer calories and exercise more can help your heart health, whether or not you lose weight.
The study, published in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation, showed that when older adults with obesity combined aerobic exercise with a moderate reduction in calories, they experienced greater improvements in cardiovascular health than adults who opted for exercise only, or exercise with a more restrictive diet.
The study looked at aortic stiffness, a measure of vascular health, which affects cardiovascular disease.
Previously, aerobic exercise has been known to offset age-related increases in aortic stiffness, but this new study shows that exercise alone may not be enough.
By cutting 200 calories a day alongside exercise, older adults with obesity reaped bigger rewards than exercise alone.
“This research is fascinating, demonstrating that a modest change in caloric intake and moderate exercise improves blood vessel reactivity,” said Dr. Guy L. Mintz, Northwell Health’s director of cardiovascular health and lipidology at Sandra Atlas Bass Heart Hospital.
Source: healthline