Research

Mixed

Greater leisure-time physical activity and higher exercise intensity are associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease in older adults, although walking score remains the most robust independent predictor when all types are analyzed simultaneously.

While high-intensity exercise and general leisure activities help, brisk walking is the most reliable and independent protector against heart disease and stroke for older adults. Focus on consistent, brisk walking rather than just intensity.

GoodQualifiesHIGH confidence
Greater leisure-time activity and exercise intensity were also associated with lower risk of CHD, stroke and CVD... When we mutually adjusted for each type of PA simultaneously, walking score remained significantly associated with lower risk of CHD, stroke and CVD; exercise intensity remained significantly associated with lower risk of CVD, but not CHD and stroke; and leisure-time activity was no longer significantly associated with CHD, stroke, or CVD.
Luísa Soares‐Miranda et al. · Circulation · 2015

Why this rating

Same high-quality cohort data; mutual adjustment strengthens the specificity of the walking finding.

Source

Physical Activity and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease and Stroke in Older Adults

Luísa Soares‐Miranda et al. · Circulation · 2015

DOI 10.1161/circulationaha.115.018323

cohort · n=4207Cited 207×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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