Daily 30-minute walk reduces death risk from heart diseases

 

Just 30 minutes of brisk walking five days a week can reduce risk of death from cardiovascular diseases, especially in women and those younger than 70 years of age, a new Argentinean study has claimed.

The study investigated the impact of various levels of physical activity on death from ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and stroke and on total cardiovascular mortality in people aged 30 years and older.

Physical activity was categorised by metabolic equivalent tasks per minute per week (MET/minute/week), with 600 MET/min/week being equivalent to 30 minutes of brisk walking five days a week (ie 2.5 hours per week).

The researchers found that engaging in less than 600 MET/min/week was responsible for 17 per cent (7,278) of total cardiovascular deaths in Argentina in 2010, of which 3,941 occurred in men and 3,337 in women.