The effects of simple eight-week regular exercise on cardiovascular disease risk factors in middle-aged women at risk in Taiwan

Background: The effects of exercise on cardiovascular disease risk factors among middle-aged women at risk of the disease in Taiwan remained unclear. Methods: Thirty-six women (35-64 years) with more than 1 traditional cardiovascular risk factor were equally assigned into the exercise group (with a treadmill training program for 30 minutes each time, 3 times a week for 8 weeks, n = 18) and a control group (maintained their previous lifestyles, n = 18). Blood biochemistries, resting blood pressure, body composition, and mood state were evaluated before and after the 8-week period. Results: Compared with the baseline, the exercise group had significantly lower body mass index (p = 0.01), waist-to-hip ratio (p = 0.04), and systolic (p = 0.01) and diastolic (p <0.001) blood pressure, as well as a better mood state (p <0.01) after 8 weeks of exercise. However, the control group did not have significant changes in the parameters. Comparison between the groups showed that the exercise group had significant changes in waist-to-hip ratio (p = 0.03) and mood state (p = 0.04). Using multivariable linear regression model, we demonstrated that exercise was significantly related to waist to hip ratio (β = -0.43, p = 0.02) and total mood scores (β = -0.37, p = 0.04) after adjustment for age, menopause, and previous hormone replacement therapy. Conclusion: A simple 8-week exercise program is able to effectively modify cardiovascular risk factors, such as the waist-to-hip ratio, blood pressure, and the mood state in Taiwanese women at risk of the disease.