Don't Forget That Rx for Exercise, Docs
Excerpt By Alison McCook, Reuters Health

Doctors should always recommend regular physical exercise to their patients to prevent and treat cardiovascular disease, according to a new report from the American Heart Association.

Writing in the journal Circulation, a group of experts led by Dr. Paul D. Thompson of the Hartford Hospital in Connecticut note that people who get a lot of regular exercise appear to have half the risk of blood vessel disease as sedentary people.

In addition, regular exercise appears to lower the chances of a host of other chronic conditions, such as diabetes, depression and certain types of cancer.

Consequently, Thompson and his team suggest that doctors follow recommendations issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which support at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise, such as a brisk walk, on most or all days of the week.

In an interview, report co-author Dr. Barry Franklin of William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan, told Reuters Health that, despite the obvious benefits of exercise, he suspected that its value in protecting the heart and blood vessels has been "woefully underestimated," even among doctors.

"I think the medical community needs further education about the value of physical exercise," Franklin said.

Citing some of the evidence in favor of regular activity, Franklin described recent research that found that regular exercise appeared to reduce the risk of death as much as commonly used drugs, such as beta-blockers and aspirin.

As a result, exercise -- which is cheaper and causes fewer side effects than medication -- "seems to convey the same magnitude of cardioprotection," Franklin said.

And combining drugs and exercise appears to reduce the risk even further, he noted.

In the report, the authors also recommend that doctors themselves get regular exercise, to "set a positive example" for their patients and the outside world.

As community members and health experts, doctors can also counsel schools and local businesses to encourage physical activity within the community, the report notes.

Franklin said that the American Heart Association has issued recommendations to doctors in the past and has written earlier reports about the importance of exercise. The organization decided to issue another report in light of new and growing information about the benefits of exercise in treating and preventing heart disease, he added.

The new report has been endorsed by the American College of Sports Medicine.

SOURCE: Circulation 2003;10.1161/01.CIR.0000075572.40158.77.

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