Both the intensity and duration of exercise are important in reducing deaths from coronary heart disease in men, a new study has found (JAMA 2002;288:1994-2000).

Moreover, weight training, long thought to be an inferior type of exercise because it is not aerobic, also yielded discrete cardiovascular benefits.

The researchers, led by Drs Frank Hu, Michael Leitzmann, and Mihaela Tanasescu, from the departments of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, sought to clarify the roles of intensity, duration, and type of exercise in reducing morbidity and mortality from heart disease. They did this by following a cohort of 44 452 professional men enrolled in the health professionals’ follow up study.

The men, aged 40-75, answered a detailed questionnaire that assessed their health level through medical history and lifestyle. Additionally, a …