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Women See Comparable Heart Protection With About Half the Exercise Men Need, Study Finds

Experts urge caution on changing exercise guidelines.

Overview

  • An analysis published in Nature Cardiovascular Research used UK Biobank wrist‑accelerometer data from more than 85,000 adults with roughly 7–8 years of follow‑up.
  • Women reached an estimated 30% reduction in coronary heart disease risk with about 250 minutes of weekly activity, whereas men required roughly 530 minutes.
  • Meeting the 150‑minutes‑per‑week target was associated with a 22% lower coronary heart disease risk in women compared with 17% in men.
  • In participants with existing coronary heart disease, adhering to guideline activity levels was linked to an approximately three‑fold greater mortality risk reduction in women than in men.
  • Researchers and commentators highlight the observational design, limited demographic diversity, and untested biological mechanisms, calling for replication in broader cohorts before revising recommendations.