Trunk Flexibility May Reveal Cardiovascular Risks
October 23rd, 2009 | by admin |We, chiropractors, are always interested in any new study that evaluates fitness levels as a person ages. The consequences of being “out of shape” begin to show up in dramatic ways as we reach 40 years old and beyond. I see this on a regular basis in my chiropractic patients who are stuck in an unhealthy lifestyle. Heart attacks and strokes are at epidemic proportions in the U.S., and cardiovascular health can no longer be ignored. How can you tell if you are at risk? A new study in the American Journal of Physiology has found that, among people 40 and older, performance on a “sit-and-reach” test (i.e., how far you can reach beyond your toes from a sitting position) can be used to assess the flexibility of your arteries. Why is that important? Because age-related arterial stiffening leads to cardiovascular risks, like heart attack and stroke.
Healthy blood vessels are elastic, and elasticity helps to moderate blood pressure. Stretching exercises that provide flexibility to the body may also slow the age-related stiffening of the arteries. The study found that arterial stiffness among middle age and older people was associated with trunk flexibility but was independent of muscle strength and cardio-respiratory fitness (as measured by performance on an exercise bike).
The good news is that another recent study found that middle age and older adults who began a regular stretch exercise program significantly improved the flexibility of their carotids, a major artery found in the neck.
The study “Poor trunk flexibility is associated with arterial stiffening” appears in the American Journal of Physiology – Heart and Circulatory Physiology. The authors are: Kenta Yamamoto of the University of North Texas and the National Institute of Health and Nutrition, Japan; Hiroshi Kawano, Yuko Gando and Mitsuru Higuchi of Waseda University, Japan; Motoyuki Iemitsu of International Pacific University, Japan; Haruka Murakami, Michiya Tanimoto, Yumi Ohmori, Izumi Tabata, Motohiko Miyachi of the National Institute of Health and Nutrition; and Kiyoshi Sanada of Ritsumeikan University, Japan. The American Physiological Society published the study.
For more on this fascinating study, go to medicalnewstoday.com
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