Dyslipidemia is a major modifiable cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor. While pharmacological treatment has been a focal point of dyslipidemia management for several years, increasing physical activity is a safe, cost-effective treatment option that should also be recommended by health care practitioners. Moderate aerobic exercise consistently increases high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and reduces triglycerides (TG), independent of changes in body weight. However, reductions in total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol are reported less often following aerobic exercise. Therefore, clinicians should understand that aerobic exercise is not likely to be an effective treatment option for their management. Recent empirical evidence also indicates that aerobic exercise may be of benefit for treating emerging lipid and lipoprotein risk factors such as lipoprotein particle size and number and triglyceride-rich lipoproteins. Further work is needed to clarify the impact of aerobic exercise on apolipoproteins. Based on current evidence, prescribing aerobic exercise as a means of increasing HDL-C and lowering TG is usually an efficacious strategy for treating these aspects of dyslipidemia. These effects are likely to be accompanied by changes in emerging lipid and lipoprotein risk factors.
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