[LindaT]

Thu Jul 4, 2:47 PM ET

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Yet another study has demonstrated the considerable health benefits of moderate exercise. In a study of people with heart disease who were trying to lower their cholesterol levels by sticking to a reduced-fat diet, adding an average of just 30 minutes a day of moderate exercise helped most reach their cholesterol goals.


The study included 21 men and 6 women with heart disease. At the start of the study, all participants were on a cholesterol-lowering diet that included less than 200 milligrams (mg) of cholesterol a day and fewer than 7% of calories from saturated fat. More than half of the participants were taking cholesterol-lowering drugs, but they did not change their dose during the 6-month study.

Each participant was advised to continue on the reduced-fat diet but to begin exercising 30 to 60 minutes three to six times a week. The exercise program emphasized moderate exercise, such as brisk walking, slow jogging and riding an exercise bike, according to the report in The American Journal of Cardiology.

Six months later, 89% of participants had lowered their LDL ("bad") cholesterol to acceptable levels, reports a team led by Dr. Francine K. Welty of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts. The participants exercised an average of 30 minutes a day.

For people with heart disease who have LDL levels between 100 and 129 mg per deciliter (dL) of blood, treatment with cholesterol-lowering drugs is optional. Once LDL reaches 130 mg/dL, however, drug therapy is usually recommended. Of the 10 people in the study who initially had LDL levels greater than 130 mg/dL, four were able to reduce LDL levels to 125 mg/dL or below, and in three patients, levels dropped to 100 mg/dL or below.

After 6 months of exercising, patients also experienced an average drop in triglycerides, another type of blood fat that is linked to heart disease. Blood pressure also declined, but HDL, the helpful form of cholesterol, did not decline.

"Our findings provide support for the use of exercise and weight loss in achieving LDL cholesterol goal" in people with heart disease who have LDL cholesterol levels between 100 mg/dL and 129 mg/dL, Welty and her colleagues conclude.

They note that weight loss, and not just sticking to a reduced-fat diet, was important for lowering LDL levels. The amount of weight loss was related to the size of the decline in LDL levels, according to the report.

SOURCE: American Journal of Cardiology 2002;89:1201-1204.