Many of these factors are controllable, which means you can work to reduce your risk of heart disease. Now, researchers are suggesting other factors that may reduce your risk of heart disease death.
Research findings suggest that men with higher levels of testosterone who are more physically active have a reduced risk of heart disease death. The researchers suggest that older men with higher testosterone levels that are more physically active tend to be healthier overall.
The study looked at data of over 3,351 older men who completed questionnaires assessing their physical activity. The men also underwent physical examinations between 1996 and 1999, and again between 2001 and 2004.
The men were then split into groups based on their hormone levels and physical activity – high hormones and high physical activity, high hormone and low physical activity, low hormone and high physical activity, and low hormone and low physical activity.
The researchers used linear regression to compare BMI and waist circumference with the prevalence of metabolic syndrome across all the groups.
Over the course of a 10 year follow up, the researchers reported 865 heart disease events and 499 heart disease deaths.
The researchers uncovered that having higher testosterone and higher physical activity levels were associated with a reduced risk of heart disease death. Higher testosterone and higher physical activity were also associated with a reduced risk of metabolic syndrome.
Future studies would need to look at whether boosting a man’s testosterone levels and making him more physically active would help reduce the risk of heart disease.
Also read: 7 Ways to boost testosterone levels naturally