Exercise and Heart Disease - Does Exercise Prevent Heart Disease?

Heredity, Other Factors are Important, Too

According to the American Heart Association, at least 30 minutes of moderately intense exercise (such as brisk walking) on most days of the week is an important part of a heart-healthy lifestyle.

But even the fittest people may have risk factors they can't control, especially as they age. For example:

Gender: Men have a greater risk of heart disease and an earlier onset.

Age: As we grow older, our heart walls thicken and our arteries begin to stiffen. Women are comparatively protected by estrogen until menopause. But after age 65, women are then as vulnerable to cardiovascular disease as men.

Heredity: Risk factors -- such as obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and a propensity for arterial plaque buildup -- can be inherited.

Race: If you're African American, you have a greater risk of developing high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease. Also, high rates of diabetes and obesity contribute to higher risk of heart disease for Hispanics, Native Americans, Hawaiians and some Asian Americans.

If you have any of the risk factors described above,  then exercise  -- although no guarantee against developing heart disease -- is even more important. Also refrain from smoking, eat a healthy diet, maintain a good weight, consume alcohol in moderation or not at all, and seek healthy ways of managing stress.

Here's more about exercise and heart disease.

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