People with strong legs are more likely to survive a heart attack, according to a new study. Researchers found that people with strong legs were less likely to develop heart failure after an attack.
They explained that a heart attack, known medically as myocardial infarction, is the most common cause of heart failure, with around 6% to 9% of heart attack patients going on to develop the condition. Previous research has shown that having strong quadriceps is associated with a lower risk of death in patients with coronary artery disease.
The new study tested the hypothesis that leg strength is associated with a lower risk of developing heart failure after acute myocardial infarction. A total of 932 patients hospitalised between 2007 to 2020 with acute myocardial infarction who did not have heart failure prior to their admission and did not develop heart failure complications during their hospital stay, with an average age of 66, took part.
