Women's Health, Effects of Exercise on

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of morbidity and premature mortality in women in the United States and most industrialized countries and, more recently, contributes to the significant disease burden in the developing nations. The prevalence of obesity and inactivity among Americans continues to rise. Exercise, for the physiologic reasons discussed below, has a beneficial effect in both preventing CVD among women and treating it once it occurs. Inactivity is also associated with multiple other cardiovascular risk factors, including obesity, diabetes, and ...