December 3, 2024

expert reaction to study on the association between incidental vigorous physical exertion and risk of major cardiovascular events in women

A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine looks at physical exertion and the risk of cardiovascular events in women. 

Dr Yasina Somani, Lecturer in Exercise Physiology in the University of Leeds’ Faculty of Biological Sciences said:

Does the press release accurately reflect the science?

“Work by Stamatakis et al reinforces that even short bouts of exercise in daily life are protective for cardiovascular health, particularly for middle-age to older women. Overall, the article generally reflects the findings of the research, but some specifics could be adjusted. In introductory lines it is stated that ‘Longer bouts of high intensity physical activity in middle age are associated with significantly lower risks of cardiovascular disease’. This should be rephrased to regular, frequent bouts of high intensity physical activity. It is not necessarily that the bouts are longer, but they are generally prescribed as more bouts in one session. Something to consider Including in the article is the frequency of bouts (i.e. how many bouts of up to 1 min per day) that result in gains for cardiovascular benefit may be more accessible to readers.”

How does this work fit with the existing evidence?

“The large data set from the UK biobank and accelerometery data allows for a robust analysis of vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity (VILPA) for cardiovascular benefit and is in line with previous data in high intensity exercise training studies.”

 Have the authors accounted for confounders?  Are there important limitations to be aware of?

“It appears the associations between short bouts of intense exercise and reduced cardiovascular risk is stronger in women, however, the large confidence intervals suggest other moderating factors could be considered in women. For example, exploring how menopausal stage (early vs late menopausal status) and hormone replacement therapy use might moderate these outcomes would be an important follow up analysis, especially since menopause (and loss of estrogen) is linked with increased cardiovascular risk.”

What are the implications in the real world?  Is there any overspeculation?  

“The finding that even small daily doses of intense physical activity is associated with reduced cardiovascular events and mortality is particularly encouraging for individuals who do not engage in structured exercise. This is especially important since around one third of adults in the UK do not meet physical activity guidelines and sedentary behaviour increases with age. This research highlights that simple choices, like taking the stairs instead of the escalator, can yield meaningful benefit to cardiovascular health.”

‘Device-measured vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity (VILPA) and major adverse cardiovascular events: evidence of sex differences’ by Stamatakis et al. was published in British Journal of Sports Medicine at 23:30 UK time on Tuesday 3^rdDecember.

DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2024-108484

Declared interests

No reply to our request for DOIs was received.