Regular exercise and cardiovascular risk factors.

Physical inactivity has been counted as a risk factor for coronary artery disease. Regular exercise has also been reported to reduce risk of cardiovascular disease and its risk factors. We surveyed 3615 subjects for their conventional risk factors of coronary disease and for the frequency of their exercise. We found that subjects who had regular exercise were more likely to have lower triglyceride and resting heart rate. HDL cholesterol was higher in the group of subjects who had regular exercise. There was no difference in fasting plasma glucose, total cholesterol or blood pressure levels between those who had and those who did not have regular exercise.