by 
Sweating it out on the treadmill. Playing basketball or softball in the local park. Even hefting the barbell. Any these physical activities are great for your heart. But did you know being active is proving to be just as beneficial as medication for the treatment of cardiovascular disease?
A recent study published in the British Medical Journal found no statistically discernible differences between exercise and medicine with regards to the benefit to patients with coronary heart disease, heart failure or prediabetes. Actually, they found exercise was even more efficient than medication for patients dealing with stroke.
The researchers, from the London School of Economics and Political Science, Harvard Medical School and also the Stanford Med school, analyzed the outcomes of 305 studies involving nearly 340,000 participants.
“In cases when drug options provide only modest benefit, patients should comprehend the relative impact that exercise might have on their condition,” wrote the researchers.
According to Dr. Ajay Baddi, cardiologist and medical director from the Cardiac Rehabilitation Program at Advocate Illinois Masonic Clinic in Chicago with Advocate Heart Institute, exercise has both indirect and direct benefits for those who have a break down serious cardiovascular event.
The direct benefits are lowered blood pressure level, blood sugar and cholesterol, he says. Additionally, exercise strengthens the body, helping to prevent injury as we grow older and elevating us emotionally.
“This holds true for everyone, not only those who’ve were built with a heart attack or stroke,” Dr. Baddi says. “You may take all the medications you need to control your blood pressure and cholesterol. But that is minor compared to exercise and diet, which will improve your body weight and take strain off your heart and vascular system.”
Dr. Baddi states that, as we grow older, we’re increasingly in danger of a heart attack or stroke. Simultaneously, our metabolism slows, therefore we face an “uphill battle” to remain healthy.
“You’re not going to burn fat as quickly, so diet alone won’t cut it,” he says. “You have to increase your exercise to decrease your chance of heart disease and stroke.”
Men are in a greater risk for cardiovascular disease once you hit 55, with women at greater risk after age 65. And women’s risk, designed for stroke, is greater than men following menopause, Dr. Baddi says.
“I tell my patients to start out by having an aerobic exercise, just like a fast walk, a swim or a bike ride, for Thirty minutes a day, four times a week,” he states. “Then, I counsel them to work as much as one hour each day, with Thirty to forty minutes of aerobic exercise and Twenty to thirty minutes of weight lifting, to strengthen the skeletal muscles and lift the metabolism.”
Do you realize your risk for cardiovascular disease? Take our heart risk assessment here. If you are at high-risk, see one of Advocate Heart Institute’s cardiologists within Twenty four hours.
