EXERCISE TO PREVENT CORONARY HEART DISEASE - AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF EFFECTS OF TRAINING ON RISK FACTORS FOR CORONARY DISEASE IN MEN

It is shown that U.S. men can be recruited to engage in a strenous program of supervised exercise intended to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. About three fourths of the 106 men who were assigned to training adhered to the program for six months and attended about three fourths of the five daily sessions per week. The training significantly improved fitness as measured with a treadmill test and favorably changed most of the risk factors associated with coronary heart disease. We conclude that exercise is advantageous and that maintenance of fitness may require as little as thirty minutes of strenuous exercise per week. A prospective trial of the effects of exercise in preventing coronary heart disease should be undertaken. © 1969.