Lifestyle Changes
Inactivity is a major risk factor for coronary artery disease, on par with smoking, unhealthy cholesterol, and high blood pressure. In fact, studies suggest that people who change their diet in order to control cholesterol lower their risk for heart disease only when they also follow a regular aerobic exercise program.
Research strongly supports the benefits of exercise on coronary artery disease:
- People who maintain an active lifestyle have a 45% lower risk of developing heart disease than do sedentary people. Even moderate exercise reduces the risk of heart attack.
- People who lose weight and exercise regularly have a significantly better chance of maintaining weight loss compared to those who do not exercise.
- Some studies suggest that for the greatest heart protection, it is not the duration of the exercise that counts but the total daily amount of energy expended. Therefore, the best way to exercise may be in multiple short bouts of intense exercise.
- Burning at least 250 calories a day (the equivalent of about 45 minutes of brisk walking or 25 minutes of jogging) seems to confer the greatest protection against coronary artery disease, particularly by raising HDL (the so-called good cholesterol) levels. (It may take up to a year of sustained exercise for HDL levels to show significant improvement, but in terms of raising HDL levels, more is better.)
- Aerobic exercise also appears to open up the blood vessels and, in combination with a healthy diet, may improve blood-clotting factors.
- Resistance (weight) training offers a complementary benefit by reducing LDL (the so-called bad cholesterol) levels.
- Exercises that train and strengthen the chest muscles may be very important for patients with angina.
[For more information, see In-Depth Report #29: Exercise.]
Stress Reduction
Stress is always highly associated with negative effects on the heart and other parts of the body. A number of techniques are available to help people relax and reduce tension. [See In-Depth Report #31: Stress.]
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