To Your Health
February, 2021 (Vol. 15, Issue 02) |
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A Fitter You = A Better Fighter Against COVID-19 Complications
By Editorial Staff
While vaccine seems destined to remain the buzzword when it comes to COVID, let's not forget about natural options that, while they may not prevent COVID-19 infection, appear to reduce the chances you'll suffer serious consequences if you do end up contracting the virus.
Case in point:
a new study that suggests adults who score high on an exercise stress test are less likely to be hospitalized due to COVID-19 compared to patients who score lower. Patients who completed the test between Jan. 1, 2016 and Feb. 29, 2020, received a test for SARS-CoV-2 between Feb. 29, 2020 and May 30, 2020. Among patients who tested positive, peak metabolic equivalents of task (METs), a measure of maximal exercise capacity, were significantly higher in patients not hospitalized compared to patients who were hospitalized.
The researchers' conclusion, published along with their findings in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, makes the value of these study results clear: "Maximal exercise capacity is independently and inversely associated with the likelihood of hospitalization due to COVID-19. These data further support the important relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and health outcomes."
