Men may need to work twice as hard as women to protect themselves against the risks of heart disease, according to a new study released by researchers from China. The findings, published in the journal Nature Cardiovascular Research, indicate that men require twice the amount of exercise as women to lower their risk of developing coronary heart disease.
The study analyzed data from more than 85,000 participants in the UK Biobank, focusing on physical activity levels and the incidence of coronary heart disease. Researchers used data from wearable accelerometers, such as smartwatches, to measure moderate to vigorous physical activity over a defined period. Participants were monitored for nearly eight years to determine the progression of heart disease and mortality rates.
The average age for the study group was around 61 years, with 57.3% of participants being female. The mortality study involved an average age of approximately 66, with around 30% female participants. After adjusting for other risk factors like BMI and smoking, the researchers found significant gender differences in how physical activity impacts heart disease risk.
The study revealed that women achieve lower risk levels with half the minutes of exercise compared to men. An additional 30 minutes of weekly exercise was linked to a 2.9% lower risk for women and a 1.9% lower risk for men. Meeting the standard recommendation of 150 minutes per week of exercise lowered the incidence risk for women by 22%, while men saw a 17% reduction. An extended exercise regimen of 300 minutes weekly reduced the risk by 21% for women and 11% for men.
For a 30% reduction in coronary heart disease incidence, women need around 250 minutes of weekly exercise, while men require approximately 530 minutes. In terms of mortality, the same 150 minutes weekly reduced women’s risk by 70%, while men’s risk was only reduced by 19%. For a 30% reduction in mortality, women need about 51 minutes of weekly exercise, while men need around 85 minutes.
Researchers emphasized the need for gender-specific tailored prevention strategies, suggesting that wearable devices could help bridge the gender gap by encouraging physical activity among women. Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News’ senior medical analyst, noted that men have higher levels of testosterone, which can be detrimental to cholesterol levels and tend to accumulate fat in the gut, increasing inflammation. He also highlighted that men are more likely to smoke, drink alcohol, and engage in less physical activity, which collectively raise their risk of heart disease.