© 1977 Oxford University Press
research-article |
A Retrospective Study of Physical Activity and Coronary Deaths*
Address reprint request: to: Dr. Hennekns, 180 Longwood, Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
For a series of 588 married white men aged 3070 years who died from coronary heart disease, (CHD), and a matched sample of living neighbourhood controls, information was collected on a large number of variables, includIng physical actMty, (PA), classified according to the Health Insurance Plan Study criteria. Increased leisure PA was associated with a decreased risk of coronary death (p< ·001) but there was no association between job activity and coronary deaths.
Step-up multiple regression, based on within-pair differences, was used to control for the possible confounding effects of all variables studied. Even when these variables ware controlled for there was still a significant association between Increased leisure PA end decreased risk of death due to CHD (p< ·001).
These data are consistent with the hypothesis that increased leisure PA can contribute to the prevention of death from CHD.
Received 18 July 1977