Study Shows That It Essential For Post Heart Attack Patients to Exercise Inorder To Live Longer
Source: Thailand Medical News Nov 12, 2019 5 years, 1 month, 2 weeks, 20 hours, 15 minutes ago
Males who walk at least 30 minutes a day after a heart attack live longer than those who are less physically active following a
heart attack, according to preliminary research to be presented at the coming American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2019 November 16-18 in Philadelphia.
The main survival advantage is found in men who had a high level of physical activity prior to a
heart attack and continued the same high level after a heart attack. In addition, those who become physically active after a
heart attack also live longer if they stick with it, researchers said.
Dr Laila Al-Shaar, Ph.D., lead author of the study and a postdoctoral research fellow in the program in cardiovascular epidemiology at the T.H. Chan School of Public Health at Harvard University in Boston told
Thailand Medical News, "Maintaining regular physical activity throughout adult life is important because it is associated with better survival, even after a
heart attack. But it is never too late to pick up on physical activity," Dr. Al-Shaar is also a member of the American Heart Association's Epidemiology Early Career Committee.
The medical Researchers analyzed self-reported physical activity information of more than 1,500 men both before and after they experienced a
heart attack (at age 65, on average). The men were all participants in the long-term Harvard Health Professionals Follow-up Study.
During an average 14-year follow-up after the
heart attack, researchers found that men who maintained high levels of moderate to vigorous physical activity (equivalent to at least 2.5 hours a week of brisk walking) both before and after their heart attacks were 39% less likely to die from any cause than men who had lower levels of physical activity both before and after their
heart attacks.
However, Men who had low levels of physical activity prior to their
heart attacks, but increased to high levels afterwards, were about one-third less likely to die than those who stayed at low levels.
In order get the survival benefit, men who boosted their activity level from low to high had to do it over the long term. Greater activity that wasn't maintained more than a few years didn't increase survival.
It was also observed that men who walked at least 30 minutes per day after their heart attack were almost a third less likely to die, independent of other physical activities they engaged in, and those who walked most quickly had the lowest risk of death.
These findings support the most recent U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (released at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2018) and the current guidelines set by the American College of
Cardiology/American Heart Association for the management of patients experiencing a heart attack
Both sets of guidelines support regular physical activity after hospitalization and advise heart patients patients to consult their health care providers about the type and amount
of physical activity appropriate for their conditions.
Although the study was conducted entirely in men, the results on changes in physical activity are similar to a previous study conducted in postmenopausal women. Because participants in the current study were predominantly non-Hispanic, white health care professionals, the results may not be generalizable to other groups of men.
