By Hixson, Susan W World Book Advanced Located online at: www.worldbook online.com. Company: World Book, Inc., 233 North Michigan Ave., Suite 2000, Chicago, IL 60601. Phone: (800) 9753250; Internet: www.worldbook.com.

Researchers have developed a nomogram (alignment chart) specifically for women that can be used to predict their expected exercise capacity at any given age, as well as demonstrated that the resulting measure is a predictor of the risk of death. Women whose exercise capacity was less than 85 percent the age-predicted value had twice the risk of death compared to women reaching at least 85 percent. according to research led by Martha Gulati, MD, a cardiologist at the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute of Northwestern Memorial Hospital, which will be published in the August 4 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.