Lifestyle Can Prevent Heart Disease

According to a Johns Hopkins Medicine news release in November, 2013, being physically fit may be an effective way to prevent heart attacks.

The researchers analyzed data from nearly 10,000 adults with heart disease who took a treadmill stress test. They were also followed for 11 years to see if they suffered a heart attack, had undergone surgery to open blocked heart arteries or had died from any cause.

"In our study, the patients who were most fit had a 75% lower risk of dying from any cause compared to those who were least fit. This was true regardless of whether the patient had previous bypass surgery to open up any blocked arteries," study author Rupert Hung, said in the news release.

The findings highlight the importance of exercise and fitness for people with coronary artery disease, according to the researchers.

According to the study's senior author, Dr. Michael Blaha, an assistant professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, "our results suggest that increasing physical fitness through cardiac rehabilitation programs and exercise may be an effective supplement to medications for preventing complications associated with coronary artery disease."

We, of course, would offer an alternate conclusion to this research that the best way to prevent heart disease in the first place would be through a lifestyle that included both fitness and exercise.

And, a thinking mind must ask..."is that all I have to do?" And, the answer, of course, is no but it would be a terrific start. The best part of the start is the shift in taking responsibility for growing one's health rather than shifting the responsibility to drugs and surgery after a lifetime and lifestyle of neglect and abuse renders us fertile ground for disease and infirmity. That said, also consider other lifestyle factors like diet, rest, stress control and a healthy nervous system.