The study, which followed 2,078 patients, is one of the largest to examine the potential role of exercise in forestalling future heart attacks in this high-risk group of patients, the researchers said. In contrast to past studies that concentrated on Caucasian males, the researchers said the current trial was more representative of the population as a whole, with 33.6 percent being minority, 43.5 percent being women, and 38.8 percent over the age of 65.
The researchers found that after an average two-year follow-up, 5.7 percent of those who reported regular exercised had died, compared to 12 percent of those reported not exercising. Additionally, 6.5 percent of exercisers experienced a non-fatal heart attack, compared to 10.5 percent for non-exercisers.
"Our findings demonstrate the value of exercise for those heart attack patients who are at higher risk of future cardiac events because of their depression or social isolation," said lead researcher James Blumenthal, Ph.D., Duke behavioral psychologist. The results of the study were published May 4, 2004, in the Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, a journal of the American College of Sports Medicine.
"Exercise was associated with lower baseline levels of depression, greater reductions in the symptoms of depression, as well as increased survival," Blumenthal continued. "We believe that exercise can be valuable in treating the physical and mental health of these high-risk heart attack patients."
While the medical community is increasingly recognizing the important role of exercise in preventing initial as well as subsequent heart attacks, no st
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Contact: Richard Merritt
merri006@mc.duke.edu
919-684-4148
Duke University Medical Center
4-May-2004