Hearts Get "Younger," Even at Middle Age, with Exercise

A small study shows, even at middle age, if you can add physical activity to your routine you can decrease the age of your heart substantially [click on the image for audio version]

"Think of the heart muscle as a rubber band, Levine says. In the beginning, the rubber band is flexible and pliable. But put it in a drawer for 20 years and it will emerge dry and brittle.

"That's what happens to the heart and blood vessels," he says. And down the road, that sort of stiffness can get worse, he notes, leading to the breathlessness and other symptoms of heart failure, an inability of the heart to effectively pump blood to the lungs or throughout the body.

Fortunately for those in midlife, Levine is finding that even if you haven't been an avid exerciser, getting in shape now may head off that decline and help restore your aging heart. He and his colleagues published their recent findings in the American Heart Association's journal, Circulation."

Click HERE to listen to an audio version of the short article

Click HERE to view the published research study