People who maintain or increase their aerobic fitness are less likely to be hospitalized in the future, particularly if they have been hospitalized in the past. These are the findings of a study carried out 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, little research has been done on the relationship between the development of aerobic fitness and the likelihood of hospitalization.
The study, published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, involved 91,140 people who underwent two repeated health profile assessments at the occupational health service. These assessments include cycling 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 data on subsequent hospital admissions from national registry data. The study looked at hospitalizations in general and hospitalizations specific to 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. Significant changes were classified as improved or poorer aerobic capacity. The average time between participants’ tests was just over three years.
Important links to aerobic fitness
The results show that the group that maintained aerobic fitness had 7 percent fewer hospitalizations for any reason during the follow-up period, and those with improved aerobic fitness had 11 percent fewer hospitalizations, compared to those whose aerobic fitness 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 percent lower during the follow-up period, compared with participants whose aerobic fitness worsened.
For cardiovascular hospital admissions, maintaining aerobic fitness was associated with 9 percent fewer admissions, and increasing aerobic fitness was associated with 13 percent fewer admissions, compared with participants whose aerobic fitness worsened. There was a 20 percent reduction in CVD admissions during the follow-up period among participants who had previously been hospitalized and maintained or increased their aerobic fitness.
All results are adjusted for changes related to aspects such as diet, smoking and perceived stress levels.
Results with a clear link to health care
Behind the study are the Sahlgrenska Academy and the Department of Food Science and Nutrition and Sport at the University of Gothenburg, the Center for Lifestyle Intervention at Sahlgrenska östra University Hospital, the Swedish School of Sports and Health Sciences (GIH) and the Health Profile Institute HPI , which is responsible for the database of health profile assessments carried out by the occupational health service, during the period 1986-2019.
Elin Ekblom Bak, Associate Professor of Sports Science at the Swedish School of Sports and Health Sciences (GIH), is one of the authors.
“The links show not only potential health benefits for individuals, but also an opportunity to perhaps influence societal and healthcare costs, with an average hospitalization cost of just under 100,000 SEK per case,” he 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, especially among people who have been hospitalized, can reduce readmissions and therefore the greatly increased burden expected on health care in the future,” he concludes.
Source:
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.
