WASHINGTON, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- Active, middle-aged men able to complete more than 40 push-ups had a significantly lower risk of developing cardiovascular diseases than those who were able to do less than 10, a new study showed.

"This study emphasizes the importance of physical fitness on health, and why clinicians should assess fitness during clinical encounters," said senior author Stefanos Kales, professor in the Department of Environmental Health at Harvard Chan School and chief of occupational medicine at Cambridge Health Alliance.

The study, published Friday in the weekly medical journal JAMA Network Open, analyzed health data from 1,104 active male firefighters from 2000 to 2010.

The participants' mean age was 39.6 and mean body mass index was 28.7. Their push-up capacity was measured at the start of the study, and each man subsequently completed annual physical examinations and health and medical questionnaires, researchers said in a press release.

During the 10-year study period, 37 cardiovascular disease-related outcomes were reported. All but one occurred in men who completed 40 or fewer push-ups during the baseline exam.

The researchers calculated that men able to do more than 40 push-ups had a 96 percent reduced risk of cardiovascular disease events compared with those who were able to do fewer than 10 push-ups.

However, the researchers admitted that the study was based on a specialized group of people and the results may not be generalized to women or men of other age groups, occupations and conditions.