Physicians Urged to Promote Exercise to Patients, and to Set Ex

As well as recommending regular physical exercise to their patients to prevent and treat cardiovascular disease, physicians should “personally engage in an active lifestyle,” according to a new report from the American Heart Association.

Writing in the June 23 rapid access issue of 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 atherosclerosis 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, Dr. 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.

Co-author Dr. Barry Franklin of William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan, stated thatlth 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," Dr. Franklin said.

Citing some of the evidence in favor of regular activity, he said that a lack of physical exercise probably predicts whether a person is at risk of dying just as well as other "big name" risk factors, such as high blood pressure and cholesterol.

In addition, Dr. 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.
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. Doctors can also counsel schools and local businesses to encourage physical activity within their communities, the report notes. Circulation 2003. DOI:10.1161/01.CIR.0000075572.40158.77