Small Amounts of Vigorous Activity Beneficial for Nonexercising Women
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 4, 2024 -- Small amounts of vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity (VILPA) are associated with significant reductions in the risk for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) among nonexercising women, according to a study published online Dec. 3 in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Emmanuel Stamatakis, Ph.D., from the University of Sydney, and colleagues examined sex differences in the dose-response association of VILPA with MACE and its subtypes among individuals self-reporting no leisure-time exercise and no more than one recreational walk per week in the U.K. Biobank. Analyses were also conducted among those self-reporting participation in leisure-time exercise and/or recreational walking more than once a week.
The researchers identified 331 and 488 MACE among 13,018 women and 9,350 men, respectively, during a 7.9-year follow-up. There was a near-linear dose-response association seen for daily VILPA duration with all MACE, myocardial infarction, and heart failure. Dose-response curves were less clear in men, with less evidence of statistical significance. Women's median daily VILPA duration of 3.4 minutes was associated with hazard ratios of 0.55 and 0.33 for all MACE and heart failure, respectively, compared with those with no VILPA. Hazard ratios of 0.70, 0.67, and 0.60 were seen for all MACE, myocardial infarction, and heart failure, respectively, in association with women's minimum doses of 1.2 to 1.6 minutes of VILPA per day.
"Although these findings are observational, they suggest that VILPA may be a promising physical activity target for cardiovascular disease prevention among nonexercising women," the authors write.
One author disclosed ties to Complement Theory Inc.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted December 2024
Read this next
Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes Partly Mediate Association Between Prepregnancy Obesity, CVD Risk
MONDAY, April 21, 2025 -- Adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs) mediate a small proportion of the association between prepregnancy obesity and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in...
Handheld Electro-Shockers Pose Risk for Interaction With Implantable Cardiac Devices
WEDNESDAY, April 9, 2025 -- When applied to cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs), commercially available handheld electro-shockers pose a relevant risk for interaction...
Rural-Urban Differences Seen in Cardiometabolic Risk Factors, CVD
TUESDAY, April 8, 2025 -- There are substantial rural-urban disparities in cardiometabolic risk factors and cardiovascular diseases among U.S. adults, according to a study...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.