LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The study was performed by the Harvard School of Public Health and published in the American College of Sports Medicine.

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Researchers gathered data on activity levels from adult males from the Health Professional Follow-Up Study (HPFS). Included in the data were insulin sensitivity, cholesterol, and markers of inflammation. Participants were asked to complete a questionnaire twice annually, in which they were asked to write about how long they spent each week on "leisure time physical activity."

The researchers studied vigorous exercise because of its strong association with coronary heart disease. They discovered that vigorous exercise decreases a man's risk of heart attack. They believe they have a partial reason why: Researchers say that exercise has a beneficial effect on a man's levels of good cholesterol in his bloodstream. The good cholesterol boost gained from exercise, is said to account for approximately 38 percent of decreased risk.

Blood samples were collected from 18,225 men, of which 454 had suffered a nonfatal heart attack or had died from coronary heart disease between 1994 and 2004. During that period of study, 412 of those who had coronary heart disease were compared to 827 in a control group, and matched for smoking status, age, and the date of blood donation.

They found, that cardiovascular disease risk was higher among the cases than the controls. Men who had suffered a nonfatal heart attack or died from coronary heart disease consistently had less good cholesterol. Conversely they had higher levels of bad cholesterol, high blood pressure, or diabetes.

Although doctors have clearly identified a link between physical activity and reduced coronary heart disease, they also emphasize that further research is needed to determine how physical activity impacts cardiovascular risk.

Heart disease causes more premature adult male deaths in the US, than any other illness or condition, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The vast majority of sudden cardiac events, between 70 percent and 89 percent, occur in males.

While further research is needed, the clear link between vigorous exercise and reduced coronary heart disease risk is important and should serve as another reason to get men moving.

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