title: The integrated effect of moderate exercise on coronary heart disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Moderate exercise is associated with a lower risk for coronary heart disease (CHD). A suitable integrated model of the CHD pathogenetic pathways relevant to moderate exercise may help to elucidate this association. Such a model is currently not available in the literature.
  
  
  METHODS
  An integrated model of CHD was developed and used to investigate pathogenetic pathways of importance between exercise and CHD. Using biomarker relative-risk data, the pathogenetic effects are representable as measurable effects based on changes in biomarkers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The integrated model provides insight into higherorder interactions underlying the associations between CHD and moderate exercise. A novel 'connection graph' was developed, which simplifies these interactions. It quantitatively illustrates the relationship between moderate exercise and various serological biomarkers of CHD. The connection graph of moderate exercise elucidates all the possible integrated actions through which risk reduction may occur.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An integrated model of CHD provides a summary of the effects of moderate exercise on CHD. It also shows the importance of each CHD pathway that moderate exercise influences. The CHD risk-reducing effects of exercise appear to be primarily driven by decreased inflammation and altered metabolism.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Research and Continued Engineering Development, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa.
authors.forename: Marc J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Mathews
authors.affiliation: Centre for Research and Continued Engineering Development, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa.
authors.forename: Edward H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Mathews
authors.affiliation: Centre for Research and Continued Engineering Development, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa. Email: 20270046@nwu.ac.za.
authors.forename: George E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Mathews
mesh_terms: D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015444:Exercise; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D011379:Prognosis; D065840:Protective Factors; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior