Women achieved a 30% reduction in coronary heart disease risk with 250 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) per week, whereas men required 530 minutes for comparable protection, according to a study published in Nature Cardiovascular Research.
Researchers analyzed data from 85,412 participants in the UK Biobank using wrist-worn accelerometers to objectively measure physical activity. The prospective analysis included 80,243 coronary heart disease (CHD)-free participants (mean age 62 years; 57% female) and 5,169 with established CHD (mean age 67 years; 30% female).
Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was defined as activity exceeding 100 milligravity for bouts lasting at least 5 minutes, in accordance with American Heart Association, European Society of Cardiology, and World Health Organization guidelines recommending 150 minutes of MVPA per week. Researchers assessed CHD incidence and all-cause mortality over a median follow-up of approximately 8 years using multivariable Cox proportional hazard models adjusted for demographic, lifestyle, and clinical factors.
Among patients with established CHD, females adhering to guideline-recommended MVPA had nearly a threefold greater reduction in mortality risk than males, with hazard ratios of 0.30 and 0.81, respectively.
Among CHD-free participants, 3,764 incident CHD events occurred. Females who met guideline activity levels experienced a 22% lower risk of coronary heart disease, (hazard ratio [HR], 0.78) compared with nonadherent females, while males showed a 17% reduction (HR, 0.83). Each additional 30 minutes of weekly MVPA reduced CHD risk by 3% in females and 2% in males.
Among the patients with CHD, 593 deaths were reported over 8 years. Each additional day meeting daily activity guidelines was associated with a 15% mortality reduction in females and an 8% reduction in males.
Dose-response analyses showed that to achieve a 30% CHD risk reduction, men needed approximately twofold the MVPA engagement of women.
Study limitations included potential residual confounding by body mass index and hemoglobin A1c, inability to assess specific medication dosing, relatively short median follow-up, and limited generalizability beyond the predominantly White UK Biobank population.
“Females compared with males derived greater benefits from the same level of [physical activity] engagement. Our findings might provide insights into sex-specific tailored management in the prevention of CHD incidence and mortality and advanced precision prevention using wearable devices, and have potential to bridge the ‘gender gap’ by encouraging female individuals to engage in [physical activity],” wrote lead author Jiajin Chen, PhD, of the Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Xiamen Cardiovascular Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China, and colleagues.
The study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and Fujian Provincial Health Technology Project. The researchers reported no competing interests.
Source: Nature Cardiovascular Research