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A recent study conducted by the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai has uncovered a significant gender gap in the cardiovascular benefits derived from exercise. The findings, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC), reveal that women can achieve greater gains in heart health with less frequent exercise compared to men.
Dr. Martha Gulati, director of Preventive Cardiology at the Smidt Heart Institute and co-lead author of the study, highlighted the historical disparity in exercise engagement between men and women. The research, based on data from 412,413 U.S. adults collected from 1997 to 2019, demonstrated that women can obtain more cardiovascular benefits per minute of moderate to vigorous activity than men.
The study’s senior author, Dr. Susan Cheng, noted that engaging in regular physical activity reduced mortality risk for both genders, with women experiencing a 24% reduction compared to a 15% reduction in men. The researchers delved into specific types of exercise, finding that men reached their peak survival benefit from around five hours of moderate to vigorous aerobic activity per week, while women achieved the same benefit with about 2 1/2 hours per week.
Additionally, the study explored muscle-strengthening activities, revealing that men gained maximum benefit from three sessions per week, whereas women achieved similar benefits with just one session weekly. Women who exceeded 2 1/2 hours per week of aerobic activity or engaged in two or more sessions of muscle-strengthening activities showed even greater gains.
Dr. Christine M. Albert, Chair of the Department of Cardiology, emphasized the importance of these findings and their potential to motivate women to invest in regular physical activity for long-term health benefits.
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