Heart Disease - Prevention is better than cure

Dateline: 04/12/98

EXERCISE

How can you reduce your risk of heart disease ? If you missed the other parts of this series, check them out now.

Heart Risk Factors - what are they ? Stop Puffing - keep living High Blood Pressure - the silent killer Raised Cholesterol - clogging the pipes Getting Physical - exercise for a healthy heart Lean and Mean - trim the flab and live longer

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PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

Exercise has become fashionable in recent times. Fortunately, it is also healthy.

The considerable decrease in the incidence of heart disease in the last decade is attributable in great measure to the shift towards a more physically active lifestyle. Walking, cycling, jogging, aerobics and other forms of physical exercise have changed the profile of the urban dweller from one of a sedentary middle-aged couch-potato to a more outdoors-man type. And this has brought along with it some associated health benefits.

Goals for Physical Activity

The goal in primary prevention is to increase a person's amount of physical exercise, to a regular level of 30 minutes a day for 3 to 4 days every week, in the absence of any other limiting factors. It is important that the activity be regular and sustained, rather than a very energetic, but shortlived attempt at exercising.

The role of a Family Doctor

Primary care physicians have been strongly urged to ask about physical activity status and exercise habits as a part of their routine evaluation. If a patient is inactive, moderate intensity dynamic exercise is to be encouraged for 30 minute periods 3 to 4 times a week. Increased activity in daily life habits is also encouraged. Regular exercise can improve conditioning and optimize fitness levels.

For those patients who have other illnesses, handicaps or low functional capacity that might interfere with exercise, medically supervised programs are advised.

Next : Obesity and Heart Disease

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For more resources on heart disease, you can

• visit the archives for related articles
• visit the resource library
• check out the heart disease bookstore

FAVORITES FOREVER Take some time to browse through this site. Check out some more articles covering different areas of heart disease: Through the Keyhole : Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery Bypass Surgery sans Bypass : the MICAS website Catching 'em Young : Fetal Cardiac Surgery The Gender Gap : Heart Disease in Women Heart Birth Defects : Congenital Heart Disease Caring after Curing : Post-Op Care for Heart Surgery Between Mother and Child : Pregnancy and Heart Disease
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