What exercises affect lipid profiles and decrease mortality?

From the Guidelines

Regular aerobic exercise and resistance training are the most effective exercises for improving lipid profiles and decreasing mortality, as evidenced by studies such as 1 and 1.

Key Recommendations

• Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week, combined with resistance training 2-3 times weekly.
• Exercise sessions should last at least 30 minutes for optimal lipid benefits.
• Aerobic exercise helps reduce LDL ("bad") cholesterol and triglycerides while increasing HDL ("good") cholesterol, with improvements typically seen after 8-12 weeks of consistent training, as supported by 1.
• Resistance training complements these effects by improving insulin sensitivity and body composition.

Benefits of Exercise

• The mortality benefit comes from exercise's multiple effects on cardiovascular health, including improved endothelial function, reduced inflammation, better blood pressure control, and enhanced cardiac function, as highlighted in 1 and 1.
• These benefits occur through physiological adaptations like increased mitochondrial density, improved oxygen utilization, and enhanced metabolic efficiency.

Implementation

• Maintain consistency in your exercise routine and gradually increase intensity over time as your fitness improves.
• Healthcare professionals should consider ways to educate patients on the importance of cardiovascular risk reduction and help set goals for their continued participation in physical activity and exercise, as emphasized in 1.

From the Research

Exercises Affecting Lipid Profiles and Mortality

• Aerobic exercise has been shown to improve lipid profiles by increasing high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and decreasing triglycerides, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol 2, 3.
• High-intensity aerobic training is more effective in improving HDL cholesterol levels compared to moderate-intensity training 3.
• Resistance exercise and combined aerobic and resistance exercise also show positive effects on lipid profiles, although the results are less consistent 3.
• Exercise training has been found to decrease the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) by improving lipid metabolism and increasing HDL-C levels 4.

Exercise and Mortality Reduction

• Regular physical activity has been shown to reduce all-cause mortality, total cardiovascular disease, and CHD incidence and mortality 5.
• A minimal effective dose of physical activity is unclear, but energy expenditure of approximately 4200 kJ/week appears to be associated with substantial benefits 5.
• Moderate activity, such as brisk walking for 30-60 minutes a day, most days of the week, is associated with significant reductions in the incidence and mortality of cardiovascular disease 5.

Specific Populations and Exercise

• In patients with chronic kidney diseases, exercise may not significantly improve lipid profiles, but it can reduce inflammation status 6.
• Aerobic and resistance exercises have been found to be beneficial for patients on maintenance hemodialysis, reducing serum creatinine and hs-CRP levels 6.
• Exercise programs for younger individuals and those with kidney problems or cardiovascular disease may require more careful planning and supervision to achieve desired results 2.