Walking helps Black women's hearts

Jet, Sept 23, 2002

For Sisters struggling with their health--especially heart health--the key to wellness may lie at their feet.

Walking is just as effective as more vigorous exercise in reducing the risk of heart disease, says a recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine. Welcome news for Black women, who face a greater threat of death from heart disease than women of other races.

A study of nearly 74,000 postmenopausal women between the ages of 50 and 79 found that women who walked 30 minutes a day, five days a week reduced their risk of heart attack and stroke by at least 30 percent--the same rate as for women who did aerobics, jogged or performed other "vigorous exercises." The report also found that the benefits of walking and other exercises held true for all women, regardless of race.

"Most previous studies were done in White populations," said Dr. Jo-Ann E. Manson, chief of preventive medicine at Harvard's Brigham and Women's Hospital and lead author of the study. "We extend the findings to an ethnically diverse population." Of the 73,743 women in the study, 5,661 are Black, 2,880 are Hispanic, 2,288 are Asian/Pacific Islanders and 1,340 are Native American or other.

For an average of three years, researchers from various medical schools and universities tracked women taking part in the federal government's long-term Women's Health Initiative Observational Study. Women were asked about the amount and types of physical activity they engaged in each week. None of the women had cancer or cardiovascular disease at the start of the study.

During the study period, 345 women developed heart disease, and 1,551 were diagnosed with various forms of cardiovascular disease. However, the women who regularly walked or exercised, even for a small amount of time, reduced their risk of stroke, heart attack or other cardiovascular events.

Cardiovascular disease (heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and congestive heart failure) is the No. 1 killer of Blacks in the nation. Being overweight and sedentary increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and other health problems like diabetes, asthma, arthritis and certain cancers.