MIND’s Lab Publishing is proud and excited to celebrate the publication of the 200th issue of the MIND’s Lab MediWeek Newsletter.
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Regular resistance training, particularly when combined with aerobic exercise and reduced sedentary behavior, may significantly lower the risk of major cardiovascular disease (CVD) in women, according to a prospective study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC). Researchers analysed data from 117,025 women enrolled in the Nurses’ Health Study and Nurses’ Health Study II over a mean follow-up of 14.5 years, during which 5,459 major CVD events were recorded.
Women performing ≥2 hours of resistance training per week had a 20% lower risk of major CVD (HR 0.80; 95% CI 0.69–0.92) and a 44% lower risk of myocardial infarction (MI) (HR 0.56; 95% CI 0.41–0.76) compared with those performing no resistance training. Furthermore, each additional hour of weekly resistance training was associated with a 5% reduction in major CVD risk.
Researchers also found that when women added 2 or more hours a week of strength training with 150 minutes of aerobic activity each week had a 45% lower chance of having a heart attack than women who stayed sedentary. Further, women who met the weekly recommended amounts of resistance training and aerobic activity, as well as less than two hours of sedentary TV watching, had the lowest risks for major cardiovascular disease events, heart attack, and stroke. No significant association was observed between resistance training and stroke risk.
These findings highlight the importance of incorporating resistance training alongside aerobic exercise and limiting sedentary behavior as part of a comprehensive strategy for cardiovascular disease prevention in women.
Source: Zhang T, Zhang Y, Lee DH, Rezende LFM, Wang X, Zheng C, et al. Resistance Training, Aerobic Activity, Television Viewing, and Risk of Major Cardiovascular Events in U.S. Women. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2026 May 25:S0735-1097(26)06355-2. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2026.04.036.