Men need twice as much exercise as women to lower heart disease risk, study finds

"Scientists analysed physical activity records from more than 80,000 people and found that the risk of heart disease fell 30% in women who clocked up 250 minutes of exercise each week. In contrast, men needed to reach 530 minutes, or nearly nine hours, a week to see the same effect. The study builds on previous work that suggests women benefit more than men from the same amount of exercise, but that women are generally less physically active and less likely to meet recommended exercise targets."

"Under NHS guidelines, men and women aged 16 to 64 should take at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise, or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise, each week, combined with muscle-strengthening activities at least twice a week. But the latest work stresses the need for tailored advice for men and women, and highlights the substantial health benefits women can achieve with only moderate amounts of exercise."

"Dr Jiajin Chen at Xiamen University in China and his colleagues analysed data from activity trackers worn by middle-aged volunteers enrolled in the UK Biobank project. They first looked at 80,243 participants who did not have coronary heart disease. In this group, women who met the 150-minute weekly exercise target had a 22% lower risk of developing heart disease over eight years of follow-up, compared with those who did not. For men, the risk was 17% lower."

Analysis of more than 80,000 activity-tracker records shows women who exercised 250 minutes weekly reduced coronary heart disease risk by 30%, while men needed 530 minutes weekly for the same reduction. Women reaching 150 minutes weekly had a 22% lower risk over eight years; men had a 17% lower risk. NHS guidance recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes vigorous activity weekly plus muscle-strengthening twice weekly. Findings indicate sex-specific exercise recommendations may be appropriate and that moderate activity delivers substantial cardiovascular benefits for women.

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