Reduced Heart Failure Risk in Postmenopausal Women Who Walk Faster
A study of postmenopausal women, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, found that those who reported a faster walking pace had a lower risk of developing heart failure.
Among 25 183 women aged 50 to 79 years, there were 1455 cases of hospitalisation for heart failure during a median follow-up of 16.9 years. Compared with women who walked at a casual pace, those who walked at an average pace or fast pace had 27% and 34% lower risks of heart failure, respectively.
Fast walking for less than 1 hour per week was associated with the same risk reduction of heart failure as average or casual walking for more than 2 hours per week.
“This study confirms other studies demonstrating the importance of walking speed on mortality and other cardiovascular outcomes,” said senior author Charles B. Eaton, MD, MS, of the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. “Given that limited time for exercise is frequently given as a barrier to regular physical activity, walking faster but for less time might provide similar health benefits as the recommended 150 minutes per week of moderate physical activity.”
Further study is warranted to determine whether interventions to increase the walking pace in older adults will reduce heart failure risk and whether fast pace will compensate for the short duration of walking.
Source: Wiley
