Men Need More Exercise Than Women to Combat Heart Disease
A recent study from China suggests that men have to put in nearly double the exercise compared to women to mitigate their heart disease risk. This research, published in Nature Cardiovascular Research, looked at data from over 85,000 participants in the UK Biobank and highlighted differences between genders in terms of physical activity and the rates of coronary heart disease.
Using wearable accelerometers to track moderate to vigorous activities, the study monitored participants without coronary heart disease for nearly eight years to see how many would develop the condition or die from it.
The average participant was around 61 years old, with a majority being female. In another phase of the study focusing on mortality, the average age climbed to around 66 years, with a smaller percentage of women involved.
After accounting for various heart disease risk factors like body mass index (BMI) and smoking habits, researchers found significant disparities. Notably, women were found to have lower risks after engaging in just half the amount of physical activity that men required.
The findings indicated that an additional 30 minutes of exercise each week lowered heart disease risk by 2.9% for women but only by 1.9% for men. Interestingly, reaching the recommended 150 minutes of exercise per week reduced disease risk by 22% in women, while men saw a 17% reduction.
Moreover, increasing exercise to 300 minutes per week brought about a 21% risk reduction for women but just 11% for men. Researchers estimated that women need around 250 minutes a week to achieve a 30% reduction in coronary heart disease risk, whereas men require about 530 minutes.
On the mortality front, 150 minutes of weekly exercise significantly cut down the risk for women by 70%, but only 19% for men. To achieve a 30% reduction in heart disease mortality, women would need approximately 51 minutes of exercise per week, while men would need around 85 minutes.
Researchers emphasized the importance of tailored prevention strategies targeting coronary heart disease based on gender. They believe utilizing wearable devices could help bridge the “gender gap” by encouraging more women to engage in physical activities.
Dr. Mark Siegel, a senior medical analyst, discussed the implications of the study, remarking on the differences in physiological and mental health approaches between genders. He pointed out that men typically face higher risks due to behaviors like increased smoking and drinking, paired with a tendency to carry weight in a way that exacerbates inflammation.
Siegel also mentioned that women start to see increased heart disease risks post-menopause, but it takes time, suggesting that men need significantly more exercise to counter their inherent risks.
