Did you know that just 30 minutes of brisk walking five days a week can reduce risk of death from cardiovascular diseases? This is true especially for women younger than 70 years of age, says a new Argentinean study presented by Dr. Rosana Poggio, a cardiologist at the Institute for Clinical Effectiveness and Health Policy (IECS) in Buenos Aires, Argentina at the Argentine Society of Cardiology Congress (SAC 2015, October 15-17, 2015)
The study investigated the impact of various levels of physical activity on death from ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and stroke and on total cardiovascular mortality in people aged 30 years and older.
Data on physical activity was obtained from the Argentinian national survey of risk factors in 2013. Numbers of disease-specific deaths in 2010 came from the Ministry of Health in Argentina.
The researchers found that engaging in less than 600 MET/min/week (metabolic equivalent tasks per minute per week) equivalent to 30 minutes of brisk walking five days a week, was responsible for 17 % (7,278) of total cardiovascular deaths in Argentina in 2010, of which 3,941 occurred in men and 3,337 in women.
Doing less than 600 MET/min/week was responsible for 20% (4,907) of deaths from IHD and 13% (2,371) of stroke deaths.
Dr. Roberto Peidro, member of the Argentine Society of Cardiology and author of the paper said “We found that low levels of physical activity had a big impact on cardiovascular deaths in Argentina, which suggests that interventions promoting exercise should be a priority. The effects were greater in women of all ages because they exercise less than men.” He also mention “Lack of free time is the most important excuse given by sedentary people. On the other hand, doctors give insufficient advice about exercise.”
No time for gym or exercise? A 30 minute walk can help your heart!
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