Exercise Decreases Heart Disease Risk in Women

By Linda Knittle

Before it was shown to be unhealthy and unsafe, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) was once believed to be a good way to protect postmenopausal women from cardiovascular disease (CVD). Now, exercise appears to be a safer alternative.

According to a new study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, women who are more physically fit than average have blood that is less prone to clotting and therefore have a lower risk of heart attacks.

In the study, blood-clotting variables were tested on four groups of 12 women: women on HRT who were fit and unfit, and women not taking HRT who were fit and unfit. Each group was given a “stress test,” which is frequently used to test for heart disease. In this case, the stress test was used to check how the blood-clotting system reacted.

Results showed that an enzyme made by the body that breaks up blood clots was higher in physically fit women than in unfit women. In addition, a marker that indicates blood clot creation was also lower in fit women, suggesting that people who exercise may be better able to prevent the formation of blood clots. This may be one reason that exercisers are less likely to have heart attacks than people who do not exercise.