Exercise participation and the effect on HDL cholesterol in men and women

Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. today. High density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) is a negative risk factor, providing protection against cardiovascular disease. Physical activity has been associated with increasing HDL-C levels. The purpose of this investigation was to correlate the frequency of participation of individuals in a health-promotion program with subsequent changes in HDL-C levels over time. There were 275 men and women volunteers who underwent pre-test and post-test cholesterol screening. The results of this investigation indicated that there was no relationship between the rate of participation and changes in HDL-C or absolute HDL-C levels. The potential reasons for these results were related to the sample population and the methodology of the variables. Despite these results, further investigation into this relationship is needed. The potential to increase HDL-C with exercise training may provide a very powerful tool in the fight against heart disease.