Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Young Adults Prevents Early Death

A recent study that was posted by JAMA Internal Medicine found that young adults who participated in cardiorespiratory fitness had lower chances of developing cardiovascular disease and avoided the potential for early death. Researchers looked at 4,872 adults who were between the ages of 18 and 30. The study involved the participants using treadmill exercises from March of 1985 to June 1986, as well as 2,472 individuals who were tested seven years later. What did the researchers find? Out of the 4,872 participants, 273 died and 193 experienced cardiovascular disease during the follow-up tests. Among the 273 deaths, 200 were non-cardiovascular. How can cardiorespiratory fitness help young adults?John Higgins, MD, explains the study and discusses why fitness is so important to heart health, especially in young people.