Surprising study finds benefits of exercise as great as those of medication.
A potentially life-saving prescription for fighting heart disease, diabetes and stroke could be as close as those walking shoes gathering dust in your closet. According to an unusual new study, the benefits of exercise in reducing mortality from those leading causes of death match or even exceed the effects of prescription drugs for the same conditions. Patients with heart disease who exercised, for instance, had the same odds of surviving the condition as those given medications such as statins or antiplatelet drugs.
Writers from Tufts University are referring to a comprehensive review by researchers from the London School of Economics, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute at Harvard Medical School and Stanford University School of Medicine. These researchers looked at over 300 previous studies and compared data on interventions involving medication, exercise, or both. The data shows strong support for exercise as an important part of increasing longevity when living with conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke or chronic heart failure.
To read Tufts University’s full summary of the study and how you can apply it to your life, subscribe to their Health & Nutrition Letter.