Women Gain More Benefits Out of Exercise

The analysis of this large Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study found that over a 12 year period, all individuals who increased their exercise by about 180 metabolic units per week (equivalent to an additional hour of mild or 30 minutes of moderate activity per week) displayed decreased levels of triglycerides and increased levels of the “good” HDL cholesterol. However, statistically significant decreases in the “bad” LDL cholesterol were only observed in women, with particularly strong effects in menopausal women and African American women. And total cholesterol levels were only significantly decreased in African American women, said a recent North Carolina University news release. The authors speculate that these differences may arise from hormonal differences between the sexes. Journal of Lipid Research, Aug. ’09