'Fit Treadmill Score' May Determine Heart Attack Risk
/Researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have developed the "Fit Treadmill Score" to determine an individual's heart attack risk over the next decade.
The score factors in age, gender, peak heart rate during exercise, and ability to tolerate exertion. Scores range from -200 to 200 but the ideal target is 100 or more. If your score is above 100, you have a 98% chance of not having a heart attack.
I believe this is a great study. Researchers looked at over 50,000 people. How is this different from a stress test? A stress test is performed when you have symptoms like chest pain. Doctors may then put you on a treadmill to evaluate how long you can hand normal exercise. From there, doctors may prescribe an angiogram or cardiac stent.
The 'Fit Treadmill Score' is for healthy people to predict risk factors like age, gender and activity level. This may be an important prevention path because your score may indicate you're at a high risk. From there, we can take action to improve your score such as a change in diet, increase in exercise etc.
The Test: How To
1. Start walking at 1.7 PMG at a 10% incline. Increase your speed and incline every three minutes.
2. A doctor calculates your heart rate and energy expended during exercise
3. Stop running when you're at the absolute limit
I visited Ainsley Earhardt on Fox News Fox & Friends to discuss the significance of this study and new 'Fit Treadmill Score.'
