“The public media has embraced the idea that exercise may harm the heart and disseminated this message, thereby diverting attention away from the benefits of exercise as a potent intervention for the primary and secondary prevention of heart disease,” Dr. Michael Scott Emery, co-chair of the Sports and Exercise Cardiology Council, said in a journal news release.
“The greatest benefit is to simply exercise, regardless of the intensity,” Dr. Valentin Fuster, editor-in-chief of the journal, said in the news release.
Exercise can also help heart disease patients. But, research reviewed by the study authors found that only 62 percent of heart attack patients were referred to cardiac rehabilitation after leaving the hospital. Of those, only 23 percent went to more than one rehab session. And, just 5 percent completed more than 36 sessions, the study showed.
“The available evidence should prompt clinicians to recommend strongly low- and moderate-exercise training for the majority of our patients,” Emery said.
“Equally important are initiatives to promote population health at large through physical activity across the life span, as it [influences] behavior from childhood into adult life,” he added.
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