Cardiology has been pointing out for years a gender gap affecting the diagnosis and treatment of heart disease. Now, an objective analysis of physical activity suggests that this inequality also extends to prevention: Women get more cardiovascular benefit from exercise That men.
The research, published in Nature Cardiovascular Research and based on more than 85.000 people from the UK Biobank with accelerometer measurement, points to a clear pattern: with the same dose of moderate or vigorous activity, women achieve a superior coronary protection and with less training time.
What the data says: fewer minutes, more protection for them
Based on international guidelines that recommend 150 minutes weekly of moderate-vigorous exercise —achievable with home exercises for women—, follow-up of a cohort without coronary heart disease showed clear differences by sex. In women, meeting this threshold was associated with a 22% less risk of coronary heart disease, compared to 17% observed in men under the same conditions.
When the dose increase was analyzed, the contrast was accentuated: with 250 minutes per week of moderate or vigorous activity, they reached a 30% reduction of the risk; to achieve a comparable benefit, men needed about 530 minutes weekly.
In people already diagnosed with coronary heart disease, maintaining recommended levels of exercise was associated with a decrease in mortality more pronounced in women than in men, with a difference that tripled the female protective effect in some analyses.
These results are consistent with previous large-scale work. A US study published in JACC indicated that women achieve maximum benefit with approximately 140 minutes per week, while men require around 300 minutes, although in this case the activity was measured by questionnaires and not by devices.
Possible explanations and what it means for Spain and Europe
The mechanisms are not closed, but biological hypotheses are considered. On the one hand, the estrogen could enhance fat oxidation during exercise and promote vascular health; on the other hand, differences in muscle fibers and metabolism between sexes could translate into greater female sensitivity to physical activity.
Clinicians consulted also point out the different exposure to the disease: In many women, coronary risk increases after menopause, while in men it accumulates earlier. This trajectory could facilitate they respond better when they increase their activity in maturity, according to Spanish cardiologists.
The current recommendations of the WHO and the European Society of Cardiology —150 minutes of moderate exercise per week or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise for adults—do not differentiate by sex. The new data invites us to consider fine-tuning: adapting messages and plans to each person could improve adhesion complete routines for training at home in a female population that, on average, is less active and has a higher risk of not achieving the recommended minimums.
The work has limitations: the UK Biobank sample is demographically homogeneous (white, middle-class majority in the UK), which calls for validation in more diverse cohorts in Europe. In an editorial commentary, international experts stress the need for sex-specific strategies and to move “from conversation to action” in cardiovascular prevention.
In practice, it is worth remembering what moderate or vigorous activity is in these studies: brisk walking (e.g., activate your legs with exercises), go in cycling at a gentle pace or gardening were considered moderate; running, cycling fast or tackling mountain trails demanding hiking They came in feeling vigorous. Beyond the type, what matters most is adding up the weekly minutes that the body "counts."
Everything points to greater objectivity in measurement —wrist accelerometers instead of questionnaires—allows for fine-tuning the dose-response relationship by sex. For European health systems, the opportunity lies in integrating these findings into programs that Motivate more women to get moving with weight-bearing exercises to tone up, because in less time they can achieve at least equivalent cardiac protection.
