People with strong chest and back less likely to have a heart attack, analysis suggests
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- University of Edinburgh researchers used AI to analyze coronary CT scans from 1,722 patients (mostly in their 50s) with chest pain, finding that greater muscle density in the back, pectorals, and intercostal muscles correlated with lower heart attack and premature death risk over 10 years
- For every 10-point increase in scan brightness—indicating denser muscle with less fat—patients were 31% less likely to have a heart attack and 39% less likely to die within a decade of the scan
- Muscle size showed no link to heart attack or early death risk; only muscle composition and density mattered, the researchers said
- Senior author Prof Michelle Williams said she has started going to the gym twice a week and walking an hour a day, citing exercises like cycling, planks, and pilates that target chest and back muscles
- The British Heart Foundation, which part-funded the study published in the journal Radiology, called the findings "yet more evidence supporting the power of exercise"
- Researchers propose routine heart scans could identify people with lower-quality muscle who could then be directed toward exercise programs, closer monitoring, or prioritization for preventive drugs
Why it matters: Among 1,722 chest-pain patients, muscle density—not size—tracked with a 31% lower heart attack risk and 39% lower 10-year mortality, suggesting the coronary CT scans already being performed could double as a screening tool to flag high-risk patients for exercise intervention or preventive drugs before a cardiac event.
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