Effects of Physical Activity on Risk Factors for Coronary Heart Disease in Previously Sedentary Women: A Five‐year Longitudinal Study

Abstract

Fitness, weight, blood-pressure, and lipids were measured in 290 women joining a fitness programme. Five years later, 110 (38%) had remained active, and the others had become sedentary again. The net effect of being active was to increase fitness by 18% and to reduce weight by 1.9 kg, diastolic blood pressure by 3 mmHg, and triglycerides by 0.15 mmol/L-1. After controlling for age, weight and fitness, physical activity accounted for 1% and 3% of the variance of changes in systolic and diastolic blood pressure respectively, and was not associated with changes in lipids. Change in fitness accounted for only 1% of change in diastolic blood pressure. More 'active' women gave up smoking than 'inactive' (70% versus 10%). Hypertensive women were more sensitive to changes in weight and fitness than normotensive women. It was concluded that physical activity and change in fitness were only weakly related to changes in blood pressure and were unrelated to changes in lipids.

Literature alert

“…Although some might find this surprising, it is consistent with the results of prospective studies [4]. Although some might find this surprising, it is consistent with the results of prospective studies [4].…”

Factors influencing cigarette smoking and quantified implications for anti-smoking policy: evidence from South Korea

“…Becoming more active has been positively Fig. 3 Percentage change in the number of cigarettes smoked per month (log) by smokers Cigarette smoking and implications for anti-smoking policy associated with both confidence in maintaining smoking abstinence and success in smoking cessation (Derby et al 1994;King et al 1996;Sedgwick et al 1988). However, according to our results, adult males in Korea who exercised regularly were more likely than others to smoke.…”

Does exercise aid smoking cessation? A systematic review

“…24,25 Becoming more active has been positively associated with both con® dence to maintain smoking abstinence 25 and success at stopping smoking. 26,27 Other work shows a positive trend between avoiding relapse to smoking and physical health and ® tness. 28 From this evidence one might hypothesize that an exercise intervention could act both to ameliorate nicotine withdrawal symptoms and to reduce the probability of relapses.…”