The more you exercise, it is better for your health if you are a woman.
Women who can exercise vigorously are at significantly lower risk of dying from heart disease, cancer and other causes, according to a research paper presented recently at the EuroEcho 2019, a scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC)
Study author Dr Jesús Peteiro, of University Hospital A Coruña, Spain advised women: “Exercise as much as you can. Fitness protects against death from any cause.”
This study examined exercise capacity and heart function during exercise in women and their links with survival involving 4,714 adult women who were referred for treadmill exercise echocardiography because of known or suspected coronary artery disease.
The annual rate of death from cardiovascular disease was nearly four times higher in women with poor, compared to good, exercise capacity (2.2% versus 0.6%). Annual cancer deaths were doubled in patients with poor, compared to good, exercise capacity (0.9% versus 0.4%). The annual rate of death from other causes was more than four times higher in those with poor, compared to good, exercise capacity (1.4% vs. 0.3%).
Dr Peteiro said: “Good exercise capacity predicted lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease, cancer, and other causes.”
He noted that most study participants were middle aged or older women: the average age was 64 and 80% were between 50 and 75. “The results were the same for women over 60 and less than 60 although the group under 50 was small,” said Dr Peteiro.
