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Individuals with higher cardiovascular risk scores are more likely to report fatigue. And the association is greater when obesity and high blood pressure are added to the mix, researchers have found.

Investigators from Johns Hopkins University and the National Institute on Aging calculated the 10-year risk of heart disease or stroke in 625 people with an average age of 68. About five years later, the participants were asked to walk very slowly on a treadmill for five minutes. Those who found the simple task tiring stood out as unusually fatigued, lead author Yujia “Susanna” Qiao and colleagues told the American Heart Association.

The findings suggest that “prevention and promotion of cardiovascular health” may lower perceived fatigability, particularly in older adults and in people living with obesity, wrote Qiao. 

Fatigue has potential usefulness as an early marker of heart disease, Qiao told the AHA. She hopes that the study raises awareness and encourages further research.

The study was published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.