SELF conscious of your thick thighs?
Well, a new study suggests they might keep you alive for longer.
GettyFor every 5 per cent body weight increase in the legs, the chance of health failure fell by 11 per cent[/caption]
People with bigger legs are less likely are less likely to experience heart failure, experts have revealed.
Heart failure happens when the heart is unable to pump blood around the body properly, either because it has become too stiff or weak.
The condition affects over 900,000 Brits with 60,000 new cases each year.
Heart attacks are the most common cause of heart failure.
While experts say they know “confidently” that fat around your waist is bad for your health, the same can’t be said for fat around your legs.
Scientists from Kitasato University, Japan, discovered that patients with high quad strength had a 41 per cent lower risk of developing heart failure following a heart attack.
The latest study, presented at a scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology, looked at the leg strength of nearly 1000 people and how it related to heart health.
For every 5 per cent body weight increase in the legs, the chance of health failure fell by 11 per cent.
Kensuke Ueno, a co-author of the research said: “Strength training involving the quadriceps muscles should be recommended for patients who have experienced a heart attack to prevent heart failure.”
Previous research has suggested strength training can reduce blood pressure, and improve circulation by strengthening the heart and blood vessels – and probably protects against heart disease.
What are the 4 symptoms of heart failure?
The main symptoms of heart failure are:
breathlessness after physical activity or at restfeeling tired most of the time and finding exercise exhaustingfeeling lightheaded or faintingswollen ankles and legs
Some people experience other symptoms on top of these, such as a persistent cough, a fast heart rate and dizziness.
Symptoms can develop quickly or gradually over weeks or months.
What causes heart failure?
Heart failure is often the result of combination of health problems.
Conditions that can lead to heart failure include:
coronary heart disease – where the arteries that supply blood to the heart become clogged up with fatty substanceshigh blood pressure – this can put extra strain on the heart, which over time can lead to heart failureconditions affecting the heart muscleheart rhythm problemsdamage or other problems with the heart valvecongenital heart disease – birth defects that affect the normal workings of the heart
Other, more general health issues such as obesity, anaemia, drinking too much alcohol or an overactive thyroid can also lead to heart failure.