People with strong, dense muscles in their chest and back are significantly less likely to suffer heart attacks or die early, according to new research from the University of Edinburgh. The study, published in the journal Radiology, used artificial intelligence to analyze coronary computed tomography angiogram scans of 1,722 individuals, mostly in their fifties, who had experienced chest pain.
Key Findings on Muscle Density and Heart Health
For every 10-point increase in muscle density, participants were 31% less likely to have a heart attack and 39% less likely to die over the following ten years. Importantly, the overall size of muscles was not linked to better heart health; rather, the quality—indicated by higher density and lower fat content—was the critical factor.
Senior author Professor Michelle Williams, who has started going to the gym twice a week because of the study's compelling results, said: “It is fascinating that people’s skeletal muscle could be linked to their risk of having a heart attack. The muscles which show up in the scans we used are principally the back muscles, part of the pectoral muscles and the intercostal muscles between the ribs.”
How Muscle Density Is Measured
The AI analyzed skeletal muscle ‘attenuation’—the brightness or darkness of muscle in a scan. Denser muscle appears lighter because more X-ray beams bounce off it, indicating better quality muscle with a lower proportion of fat. Researchers grouped participants based on their muscle appearance and compared that to rates of heart attacks and early deaths using health records.
Professor Williams added: “We need far more research to better understand how exercise may affect muscle density, and how this may relate to heart health. So I am now personally interested in exercises like cycling, planks and pilates, which I enjoy and may have an effect on these muscles.”
Exercise Recommendations and Expert Commentary
Scientists suspect that people with strong upper body muscles likely have an overall healthy lifestyle that protects their heart. Professor Bryan Williams OBE, Chief Scientific and Medical Officer at the British Heart Foundation, which funded the study, said: “Artificial intelligence can rapidly reveal information buried in scan results which provides a more detailed picture of our health than ever before. It is likely that people in this study with more dense muscle mass were more physically active and as a result may have better heart health. That is yet more evidence supporting the power of exercise. Every time we move, we are making a positive difference to our muscles, our blood vessels and our overall health, and regular exercise can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by up to a third.”
The findings underscore the importance of exercises targeting the chest, back, and intercostal muscles, such as bench pressing, planks, and pilates, in reducing heart attack risk.
