According to a study presented at Heart Failure 2023, a scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) in Prague, people with strong legs are less likely to develop heart failure after a heart attack.

Myocardial infarction is the most prevalent cause of heart failure, with around 6–9% of heart attack patients developing the condition. Previous studies have shown that having strong quadriceps can reduce the risk of mortality in those with coronary artery disease.

In this study, the researchers enrolled 932 individuals who were admitted to the hospital with acute myocardial infarction from 2007 to 2020. These individuals did not show any signs of progression to heart failure and had no history of heart failure before admission.

Maximal quadriceps strength was used to predict leg strength. As a result, the patient was asked to sit on a chair for five seconds. The patients flexed their quadriceps muscles as hard as they could. A handheld dynamometer attached to the ankle recorded the maximum value in kilogrammes. The measurement was performed on each leg, and the researchers used the average of both values.

The findings of the study showed that 67 individuals (7.2%) experienced heart failure throughout a 4.5-year follow-up period. The incidence of heart failure was 10.2 per 1,000 person-years in individuals with strong quadriceps strength and 22.9 per 1,000 person-years in those with poor strength. A high quadriceps strength level was linked with a 41% decreased risk of acquiring heart failure in comparison to a low quadriceps strength level.

Lastly, in the study, the researchers concluded that with each 5% increase in quadriceps strength, the risk of heart failure was reduced by 11%.

(Source: https://www.daijiworld.com/news/newsDisplay?newsID=1082176 )