A new study suggests women gain greater heart health benefits from exercise than men, even with less physical activity.
A study published on October 27 in Nature Cardiovascular Research reveals that women may benefit more from exercise than men when it comes to heart health. Researchers from China analyzed data from 85,000 participants in the UK Biobank over seven years, tracking physical activity and heart-related events.
Women who met World Health Organization and American Heart Association exercise guidelines had a 22% lower risk of heart events, compared to a 17% reduction in men. The study also found that women achieved similar cardiovascular benefits as men with nearly half the exercise time—250 minutes weekly versus 530 minutes.
“We are quite surprised that females achieved cardiovascular benefits comparable to those of males with only about half” the activity, said Jiajin Chen, lead researcher at Xiamen University.
Dr. Emily Lau of Brigham and Women’s Hospital noted, “Women appear to have a physical activity advantage,” urging more sex-specific research and exercise recommendations.