Primary prevention of coronary heart disease by physical activity

The role of physical exercise and fitness in the development and prevention of coronary heart disease is subject to controversy. In reviewing the large number of epidemiological studies that have considered this relationship, we find several problem areas which could explain the inconsistency of published results: there is no single yet precise method for evaluation of the physical activity level of a given population; most studies include only a limited portion of the physical activity spectrum of their total population, and physical activity is interrelated with numerous other coronary risk factors.