Muscular Heart Failure Patients May Have a Better Chance at Survival, Study Suggests

Another reason to get fit - and if you are truly fit, your chances of getting into heart failure are lessened.

University of Alberta research has discovered heart failure patients with more muscle have the potential to increase their length of life.

Antigone Oreopoulos, a researcher from the U of A's School of Public Health, studied 140 patients with heart failure. Study participants underwent a special scan to measure their muscle mass and body fat.

Oreopoulos' research found that having more muscle was associated with better nutritional status and lower severity of heart failure, while higher body fat was associated with increased inflammation and reduced exercise capacity. This suggests that in patients with heart failure having more muscle mass and lower fat may be beneficial.

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