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If you've been reading the news recently, you may well have noticed that exercise is currently a hot topic. First, researchers writing in the British Medical Journal compared exercise with certain types of medicines, and found that physical activity could be as a effective as many drugs for people with existing coronary heart disease and stroke.
In an analysis of hundreds of existing clinical trials, researchers from the UK and the US found no significant difference between exercise and some medicines for secondary prevention of heart disease as well as prevention of diabetes. In fact in some stroke patients, exercise was found to be more effective than some drugs.
However, Amy Thompson, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, warns that more research is needed before the medical profession can draw any firm conclusions.
'These researchers suggest doctors should think more about prescribing exercise to ward off heart disease and stroke,' she says. 'However, there is limited evidence comparing the effect of exercise to that of drugs.
'Medicines are an extremely important part of the treatment of many heart conditions and people on prescribed drugs should keep taking their vital meds. If you have a heart condition or have been told you’re at high risk of heart disease, talk to your doctor about the role that exercise can play in your treatment.'
A study just published in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension also suggests that doing more than four hours of exercise a week during your leisure time could reduce your risk of high blood pressure by almost 20 percent. And even if you only exercise from one to three hours a week, your high blood pressure risk could be slashed by 11 percent.
Meanwhile, a report by Macmillan Cancer Support and The Ramblers called Walking Works is calling for the nation to be more active. The report – which is supported by Public Health England – highlights how inactivity is affecting the nation's health:
The report also suggests that if everyone in England did enough walking to meet the recommended activity guidelines of 150 minutes of moderate physical activity each week, it could prevent almost 37,000 people dying prematurely, almost 295,000 cases of diabetes and just over 12,000 people going to hospital for emergency coronary heart disease treatment.
'It is sad that so many lives are put at risk each year due to inactivity,' says Ciarán Devane, chief executive of Macmillan Cancer Support. 'For cancer patients, being active can help manage some of the debilitating consequences of treatment and can even help reduce the chance of some cancers returning.
'Inactivity is a nationwide epidemic that must be tackled now before it is too late. Healthcare professionals need to ensure that they prescribe physical activity, such as walking, as an intrinsic part of a healthy lifestyle.'
In an analysis of hundreds of existing clinical trials, researchers from the UK and the US found no significant difference between exercise and some medicines for secondary prevention of heart disease as well as prevention of diabetes. In fact in some stroke patients, exercise was found to be more effective than some drugs.
However, Amy Thompson, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, warns that more research is needed before the medical profession can draw any firm conclusions.
'These researchers suggest doctors should think more about prescribing exercise to ward off heart disease and stroke,' she says. 'However, there is limited evidence comparing the effect of exercise to that of drugs.
'Medicines are an extremely important part of the treatment of many heart conditions and people on prescribed drugs should keep taking their vital meds. If you have a heart condition or have been told you’re at high risk of heart disease, talk to your doctor about the role that exercise can play in your treatment.'
A study just published in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension also suggests that doing more than four hours of exercise a week during your leisure time could reduce your risk of high blood pressure by almost 20 percent. And even if you only exercise from one to three hours a week, your high blood pressure risk could be slashed by 11 percent.
Meanwhile, a report by Macmillan Cancer Support and The Ramblers called Walking Works is calling for the nation to be more active. The report – which is supported by Public Health England – highlights how inactivity is affecting the nation's health:
- It shortens lifespan by three to five years.
- It costs the economy up to £10 billion a year.
- It's responsible for 10 percent of heart disease cases, 13 percent of Type 2 diabetes cases and 17 percent of premature deaths.
The report also suggests that if everyone in England did enough walking to meet the recommended activity guidelines of 150 minutes of moderate physical activity each week, it could prevent almost 37,000 people dying prematurely, almost 295,000 cases of diabetes and just over 12,000 people going to hospital for emergency coronary heart disease treatment.
'It is sad that so many lives are put at risk each year due to inactivity,' says Ciarán Devane, chief executive of Macmillan Cancer Support. 'For cancer patients, being active can help manage some of the debilitating consequences of treatment and can even help reduce the chance of some cancers returning.
'Inactivity is a nationwide epidemic that must be tackled now before it is too late. Healthcare professionals need to ensure that they prescribe physical activity, such as walking, as an intrinsic part of a healthy lifestyle.'
