In a cohort study, U.S. women logging at least 2 hours a week of resistance training had a 20% lower risk of incident major cardiovascular disease (CVD) over nearly 15 years.The benefit of resistance training persisted even if women also engaged in aerobic activity and limited sedentary time.A lower risk of major CVD could also be observed in those who reached ≥1 hour of weekly resistance training and were consistent about it over the years.
Women engaged in regular resistance training had substantially better cardiovascular health in the long run, according to a large cohort study.
Those performing at least 2 hours a week of resistance training had a 20% lower risk of incident major cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared with no resistance training (HR 0.80, 95% CI 0.69-0.92) over an average 14.5 years of follow-up in the Nurses' Health Study (NHS) and NHS II cohorts.
This association persisted after adjustment for diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and related medications (HR 0.86, 95% CI 0.75-0.98). Additionally, each additional hour of resistance training per week was associated with a 5% lower risk of major CVD (HR 0.95, 95% CI 0.92-0.99), Edward Giovannucci, MD, ScD, of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, and colleagues found.
