effect of exercise on primary prevention of cvd

A systematic review of the evidence on the effects of physical activity found that people who exercise (those who undertake moderate levels of activity daily or almost daily, e.g., walking) typically experience 30%–50% reductions in relative risk of coronary heart disease compared with people who are sedentary after adjustment for other risk factors [1]. Moderate-to-high levels of physical activity are associated with reduced risk of coronary heart disease and stroke. The absolute risk of sudden death after strenuous activity is small (it is greatest in people who are usually sedentary).