By Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) – When it comes to heart health issues, no amount of exercise is too much, scientists said on Tuesday in a survey that debunks the myth that high levels of vigorous physical activity are not always beneficial.
The research found that “every movement counts” to improve cardiovascular health, the scientists said, with the lowest risk of heart disease in people who exercise more.
Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in the world – killing almost 18 million people a year worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
This survey, which involved more than 90,000 people studied over a five-year period, found that those in the top 25% of people who engaged in vigorous intensity activities had an average reduction in the risk of heart disease between 54% and 63%.
For those in the first quarter of all types of exercise – ranging from moderate to vigorous activities – the average reduction in the risk of heart disease was between 48% to 57%.
“It debunks the myth that there is a peak beyond which you shouldn’t exercise anymore,” said Rema Ramakrishnan, a biostatistics and epidemiologist at the University of Oxford who co-led the study. “There is no limit to what you can do in terms of physical activity (to improve heart health).”
Aiden Doherty, an Oxford professor who worked with Ramakrishnan, said the results of the study are a robust endorsement of the WHO advice that people should do at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise a week.
“This is the largest study ever done on device-measured physical activity and cardiovascular disease,” he said. It shows that “physical activity is probably even more important … than we previously thought.”
The study, published in the journal PLOS Medicine, used wrist activity tracking devices, known as accelerometers, to accurately record the activity of more than 90,000 participants.
The researchers said the results were similar for men and women, although the benefits of vigorous exercise appeared to be particularly strong for women.
And while people who exercised more were also more likely to not smoke, to have a healthy weight and a moderate intake of alcohol, the researchers said they adjusted these factors and still found a strong link between higher levels of exercise and lower rates. low heart disease.
(Reporting by Kate Kelland; Editing by Angus MacSwan)