|
|
| Research |
|
|
|
|
Exercise Medicine Australia conducts joint research with other research organizations into exercise interventions for disease prevention and management. The research focuses on exercise interventions to prevent lifestyle diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, depression and falls, improve metal health and cognitive functions, and promote active and healthy ageing. It also conducts economic evaluations of healthcare cost savings resulting from exercise interventions to prevent the diseases.
|
|
|
|
|
|
The latest research publication in the European Journal of Epidemiology.
Henry Zheng1 , Nicola Orsini2, Janaki Amin3, Alicja Wolk2, Van Thi Thuy Nguyen1 and Fred Ehrlich1,Quantifying the dose-response of walking in reducing coronary heart disease risk: meta-analysis. European Journal of Epidemiology.2009;24:181-92 (Epub DOI:10.1007/s10654-009-9328-9)
|
1. School of Public Health and Community Medicine, The University of New South Wales, Level 2, Samuels Building, Sydney, NSW, Australia
2. Division of Nutritional Epidemiology, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Stockhlom, Sweden
3. National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Abstract
The evidence for the efficacy of walking in reducing the risk of and preventing coronary heart disease (CHD) is not fully understood. This meta-analysis aimed to quantify the dose-response relationship between walking and CHD risk reduction for both men and women in the general population. Studies on walking and CHD primary prevention between 1954 and 2007 were identified through Medline, SportDiscus and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Random-effect and meta-regression models were used for the quantification. The meta-analysis indicated that an increment of approximately 30 min of normal walking a day for 5 days a week was associated with 19% CHD risk reduction (95% CI = 14–23%; P-heterogeneity = 0.56; I 2 = 0%). We found no evidence of heterogeneity between subgroups of studies defined by gender (P = 0.67); age of the study population (P = 0.52); or follow-up duration (P = 0.77). The meta-analysis showed that the risk for developing CHD decreases as walking dose increases. Given its low injury risk and high adherence rates, walking should be prescribed as an evidence-based effective exercise intervention strategy for CHD prevention in the general population.
Keywords
Coronary heart disease, exercise, meta-analysis, physical activity, walking
|
|
|
|
|
|
