Sedentary lifestyle killing Argentineans
Around 17% of all heart-disease deaths in Argentina are caused by not meeting the minimum exercise requirement set by the European Society of Cardiology, which requires just 30 minutes of brisk walking, five days a week.
A current study investigated the impact of various levels of physical activity on death from ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and stroke and on total cardiovascular mortality in people aged 30 years and older. Data on physical activity was obtained from the Argentinean national survey of risk factors in 2013. Numbers of disease-specific deaths in 2010 came from the Ministry of Health in Argentina.
Physical activity was categorised by metabolic equivalent tasks per minute per week (MET/minute/week), with 600 MET/min/week being equivalent to 30 minutes of brisk walking five days a week (ie 2.5 hours per week).
ESC guidelines recommend that healthy adults of all ages should spend 2.5 to 5 hours a week on physical activity or aerobic exercise training of at least moderate intensity, or 1 to 2.5 hours a week on vigorous intense exercise.
During 2010 there were 43,796 deaths from cardiovascular disease in the population aged 30 years and above, including 25, 142 deaths from IHD and 18,654 deaths from stroke.
The researchers found that engaging in less than 600 MET/min/week was responsible for 17% (7,278) of total cardiovascular deaths in Argentina in 2010, of which 3,941 occurred in men and 3,337 in women. Doing less than 600 MET/min/week was responsible for 20% (4 907) of deaths from IHD and 13% (2 371) of stroke deaths.
“This research demonstrates that the impact of physical inactivity on deaths from cardiovascular disease is very significant. The causes of lower physical activity in women, according to surveys, include their multiple occupations (work and home), less time spent doing sports by girls compared to boys, and the time spent caring for the health of other family members.” said Dr Roberto Peidro, a leading member of the Argentine Society of Cardiology and vice-president of the Argentine Foundation of Cardiology.
The study will be presented by the European Society of Cardiology in SAC 2015, held in Buenos Aires from 15 to 17 October.
Category: Features, Health alert
