Garden for half hour to slash heart risk

SPENDING just half an hour a day gardening, fishing or walking can cut the risk of a fatal heart attack by more than half, a study has found.

The 12-year Finnish study, on 2,500 men and women aged 65 to 74 and presented yesterday at the world’s largest cardiac conference, suggests dramatic changes can be achieved later in life.

Researchers compared three groups of pensioners. One did less than four hours of activity each week; another did at least four hours of light exercise such as gardening, fishing, walking or cycling; and a third group did intense exercise such as running or swimming at least three hours a week.

Doing moderate physical activity was associated with a 54 per cent reduction in deaths from heart conditions, with a 31 per cent drop in acute events such as heart attacks and strokes.

Those in the group who did more vigorous activity did even better, with a 66 per cent reduction in heart deaths and a 45 per cent drop in acute events. Every year, 82,000 people suffer a heart attack in England.

Speaking at the European Society of Cardiology

Congress in Rome, Riitta Antikainen, professor of geriatrics at the University of Oulu, Finland, said: “Relatively little is known about the effect of regular physical activity on cardiovascular disease risk in older people.

“Our study provides evidence that older adults who are physically active have a lower risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, and death from cardiovascular disease.”

Official data shows walking levels in Britain have fallen by more than a third in three decades, with the average person walking for less than 10 minutes a day.

Emily Reeve, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: “This study highlights the importance of physical activity at any age, including the elderly. In order to keep their heart healthy and improve general health, older adults need to keep active and still aim to achieve a minimum of 150 minutes of aerobic activity every week.”