Efficacy of aerobic exercise on coronary heart disease risk factors

The authors examined the effects of aerobic exercise on selected coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors using data from previously published meta-analyses. Using a random effects model, the effects of aerobic exercise on glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) (mean, 95% confidence interval, -0.9%, -1.9% to 0.03%), resting systolic blood pressure (-6.9 mm Hg, -9.1 to -4.6 mm Hg), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (-3.1 mg/dL, -6.1 to 0 mg/dL), and body mass index (-1.3 kg/m(2), -2.5 to -0.1 kg/m(2)) were either statistically significant or demonstrated a trend for statistical significance. Changes were equivalent to relative reductions of -8.5%, -4.7%, -2.0%, and -4.5%, respectively. Changes corresponded to estimated 5-year reductions in CHD mortality of 14%, 17%, 1.5%, and 5%, respectively. The results of this review reinforce the idea that aerobic exercise is an important nonpharmacologic intervention for improving selected CHD risk factors.