Adherence
Leisure-time physical activity (mild to strenuous) and moderate occupational physical activity are associated with a reduced risk of myocardial infarction, whereas heavy occupational physical labor shows no protective association compared to sedentary work.
Prioritize leisure-time physical activity (walking, cycling, sports) for at least 150 minutes per week. If your job involves heavy physical labor, do not rely on it for heart protection; you must still engage in dedicated leisure-time exercise to significantly reduce your risk of heart attack.
Subjects whose occupation involved either light [multivariable-adjusted odds ratio (OR) 0.78, confidence interval (CI) 0.71–0.86] or moderate (OR 0.89, CI 0.80–0.99) PA were at a lower risk of MI, whereas those who did heavy physical labour were not (OR 1.02, CI 0.88–1.19), compared with sedentary subjects. Mild exercise (OR 0.87, CI 0.81–0.93) as well as moderate or strenuous exercise (OR 0.76, CI 0.69–0.82) was protective.
Why this rating
Large-scale case-control study (INTERHEART) across 52 countries with rigorous multivariable adjustment, though observational design limits causal inference.
Source
Physical activity levels, ownership of goods promoting sedentary behaviour and risk of myocardial infarction: results of the INTERHEART study
Claes Held et al. · European Heart Journal · 2012
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