Meanwhile, senior study author Kunihiro Matsushita added: “While traditional cardiovascular disease risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking or diabetes are closely linked to cardiovascular disease, particularly in middle-aged people, we also know these factors may not be as predictive in older adults, so we need to identify non-traditional predictors for older adults.
“We found that physical function in older adults predicts future cardiovascular disease beyond traditional heart disease risk factors, regardless of whether an individual has a history of cardiovascular disease.”
Although the study began over 30 years ago, Matsushita says their study “adds additional evidence to past research, which has demonstrated the importance of maintaining physical function at an older age”.
Subsequently, further research is required in this field in order to better understand the impact of physical function and how people can improve it so they can reduce their risk of heart disease.
