ASSOCIATION OF WALKING PACE, WALKING FREQUENCY AND DURATION AND JOINT EFFECTS ON THE RISK OF HEART FAILURE IN POST-MENOPAUSAL WOMEN

Abstract

Background: Studies have found an inverse relationship between the risk of heart failure hospitalization and physical activity. This study aims at exploring the association between walking pace (speed), walking frequency and duration and the risk of acute hospitalized HF (HHF). Method(s): Study participants were women 50 to 79 years of age enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative. We excluded those at baseline with heart failure, coronary heart disease, cancers, unable to walk one block or with missing data on follow-up. Participants were subcategorized into their self-reported walking frequency, walking duration, walking speed, and tertiles of their total walking energy expenditure (MET-hr/wk) calculated from the product of the aforementioned three variables. Multivariate Cox's regression models were performed for analysis. Result(s): A total of 89,270 participants were followed up a mean of 10 years, during which 1156 cases of HHF were documented. Compared to those with the lowest energy expenditure from walking (Tertile 1), there was a dose-response decrease in HHF incidence for those in tertiles 2 and 3. Similarly, there was a decreasing dose response relationship in HHF incidence across increasing walking frequency, walking duration and walking speed (table attached) Conclusion(s): Walking 2-3 times per week, for more than 40 minutes per walk at a volume of 5 MET-hr/wk and at an average or faster pace appears to be protective against developing acute HHF in post-menopausal women.