The research shows, the higher a person's muscle strength, the less likely they are to die from hypertension.
Hypertension is also known as high blood pressure, and it can increase a person's likelihood of stroke, heart attack, and kidney disease. But authors of the new study urge middle-aged men with high blood pressure to start doing more yard work or any kind of light weightlifting to increase their muscle strength.
The 18-year study looked at more than 15,000 men, 40 years of age and older. The men who maintained their muscle strength -- typically through physical activity -- had a 34 percent lower death rate versus those whose muscle strength had deteriorated.
The study appears in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
