Exercise reduces risk of heart disease in postmenopausal women

By Jayne Warren - 30/04/2008

A new study has shown that regular aerobic exercise can significantly decrease the chemical imbalances that may lead to heart disease and stroke in postmenopausal women - and because of the widely publicised detrimental effects of long-term use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT), more and more women are turning to exercise as a natural way to combat postmenopausal effects.

 

A chemical imbalance or stress - called oxidative stress - occurs when oxidants, harmful chemicals that damage tissue and cells, outnumber antioxidants in the body. Antioxidants protect cells and tissues against oxidants - but postmenopausal women have higher levels of oxidative stress. A single bout of intense exercise acutely raises oxidative stress by increasing the production of oxidants. Conversely, regular exercise of moderate intensity appears to reduce oxidative stress through an adaptive process that increases antioxidant activity.

 

The study followed 48 sedentary postmenopausal women (21 on HRT and 27 not on HRT) through an exercise program consisting of three supervised sessions of aerobic exercise per week for 24 weeks. The women were aged between 50 and 75 and were postmenopausal for at least two years. Both the HRT users and non-users both experienced an 11 to 18% drop in plasma thiobarbituric acid reactive substances - an indicator of oxidative stress.

 

Michael D. Brown, Ph.D., from Temple University’s College of Health Professions, said: “Regardless of a woman's hormone replacement therapy status, regular physical activity is a good way not only to decrease postmenopausal symptoms, but also to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

 

“No one is too old to begin an exercise program, but it is important to start off slow and build your program to your comfort level. Exercising is not difficult. You just have to want to do it."