New research from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) suggests that physical activity plays a key role in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease by lowering stress-related signaling in the brain. The study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, indicates that individuals with stress-related conditions, such as depression, experience the most cardiovascular benefits from engaging in physical activity.

The investigation, led by Dr. Ahmed Tawakol, an investigator and cardiologist at the Cardiovascular Imaging Research Center at MGH, analyzed data from 50,359 participants in the Mass General Brigham Biobank. The participants completed a physical activity survey, with a subset of 774 individuals also undergoing brain imaging tests and stress-related brain activity measurements.

Over a median follow-up of 10 years, it was found that 12.9% of the participants developed cardiovascular disease. Those who met physical activity recommendations had a 23% lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease compared to those who did not meet the recommendations. Additionally, individuals with higher levels of physical activity demonstrated lower stress-related brain activity. Notably, the reductions in stress-associated brain activity were linked to improved function in the prefrontal cortex, a brain region involved in executive function and known to restrain stress centers of the brain. The analyses accounted for other lifestyle variables and risk factors for coronary disease.

The study also revealed that reductions in stress-related brain signaling partially accounted for the cardiovascular benefits of physical activity. Furthermore, the researchers found that the cardiovascular benefit of exercise was significantly greater among participants with higher stress-related brain activity, such as those with pre-existing depression. According to Dr. Tawakol, the senior author of the study, ‘Physical activity was roughly twice as effective in lowering cardiovascular disease risk among those with depression. Effects on the brain’s stress-related activity may explain this novel observation.’

The findings suggest that understanding the link between physical activity, stress-related brain activity, and cardiovascular disease risk could have significant implications for developing targeted interventions and treatment strategies. Further prospective studies are needed to identify potential mediators and establish causality. In the meantime, these results underscore the importance of physical activity in promoting cardiovascular health, particularly for individuals with stress-related conditions.