Gardening associated with better heart health status

Gardening associated with better heart health status

Gardening is associated with better heart health status in older adults, according to a study published in Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The study evaluated around hundred and fifty thousand adults over 65 years reporting any physical activity and grouped them as gardeners, exercisers or non-exercisers. It was a survey using landline and cellular phones.

10.2% were gardeners, 60% were exercisers and 30.8% non-exercisers. Compared to non-exercisers, gardeners had lower odds of reporting all the studied health outcomes and higher odds of consuming more than five fruits and vegetables daily. The health outcomes were stroke, heart attack, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, poor mental health status, poor physical health status and high 10 year mortality risk.

An interesting aspect of the report was that male and female gardeners had significantly lower odds of reporting diabetes even when compared to exercisers. Study authors concluded by mentioning the need for further studies to determine if gardening activities can be a strategy to reduce risk for heart disease.

Reference

1. Veldheer S, Tuan WJ, Al-Shaar L, Wadsworth M, Sinoway L, Schmitz KH, Sciamanna C, Gao X. Gardening is Associated with Better Cardiovascular Health Status Among Older Adults in the US: Analysis of the 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Survey. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2022 Oct 30:S2212-2672(22)01126-1. doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2022.10.018. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36323395.