A new study conducted by researchers at Xiamen Cardiovascular Hospital of Xiamen University and the Shanghai Chest Hospital affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine has revealed that the benefits of exercise in preventing and treating coronary heart disease may be significantly greater for women than for men.
Drawing on wearable device data from 85,000 participants, the research team carried out a detailed analysis of gender differences in the cardiovascular impact of physical activity. The findings showed that women need only 250 minutes of exercise per week to reduce their risk of coronary heart disease by 30%, while men require around 530 minutes—roughly double the time—to achieve comparable heart health benefits.
Further analysis among participants already diagnosed with coronary heart disease revealed similar trends. Women who exercised for 51 minutes a week reduced their risk of death by 30%, whereas men needed 85 minutes of weekly activity to reach the same outcome.
Experts hope that these insights will help refine future prevention and treatment strategies for coronary heart disease across different age groups, underscoring the importance of recognising sex-specific differences in how physical activity supports cardiovascular health.
