7 articles discussing the benefits of physical activity

As previously reported, April has been designated as Move More Month by the American Heart Association.

In a continuing effort to raise awareness of the heart-healthy benefits of physical activity, Cardiology Today has compiled a list of articles that address physical activity and its impact on CV health.

Exercise can decrease genetic risk for CVD

Physical activity and fitness were inversely associated with incident CVD among patients from the general population and those with an elevated genetic risk for CVD, according to a study published in Circulation.

“The main message of this study is that being physically active is associated with a lower risk of heart disease, even if you have a high genetic risk,” Erik Ingelsson, MD, PhD, professor of cardiovascular medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine, said in a press release.

Yoga decreases anti-inflammatory adipokine in metabolic syndrome, high BP

Patients with metabolic syndrome and high-normal BP who participated in 1 year of yoga training had increased anti-inflammatory adipokine and decreased proinflammatory adipokines compared with nonparticipants, according to a study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports.

“These findings help to reveal the response of adipokines to long-term yoga exercise, which underpins the importance of regular exercise to human health,” Parco Siu, BSc, MPhil, PhD, associate professor in the division of community medicine and public health practice at The University of Hong Kong School of Public Health, said in a press release.

Moderate to vigorous physical activity benefits reflex control of BP during pregnancy

Increased rates of moderate to vigorous physical activity may be beneficial for BP reflex control during pregnancy, but the reduction of sedentary behavior had little effect, according to data published in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology.

“Guidelines around the world recommend that women without contraindication exercise during pregnancy,” Margie H. Davenport, PhD, assistant professor of kinesiology, sport and recreation at the University of Alberta, told Cardiology Today. “This is based on a large body of literature supporting the health benefits of prenatal exercise. We know that prenatal exercise reduces the risk of developing hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (gestational hypertension and preeclampsia) by up to 40%. However, we don’t understand the mechanisms underlying this risk reduction.”

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Yoga, aerobic exercise combination yields positive effect on CV risk factors

In a new study, patients with obesity, type 2 diabetes and a previous diagnosis of CHD who practiced a combination of Indian yoga plus aerobic exercise over 18 months experienced greater improvement in CV risk factors including BP, lipids and weight compared with patients who practiced yoga or aerobic exercise only.

The study enrolled 750 patients who were assigned to one of three lifestyle interventions: aerobic exercise alone (n = 225); Indian yoga (n = 240) or Indian yoga plus aerobic exercise (n = 285). Patients attended three 6-month sessions of yoga, aerobic exercise or both.

Short, light bouts of exercise lower mortality risk in older men

Bouts of light-intensity exercise lasting 10 minutes were sufficient to lower the risk for death in most older men, according to findings recently published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

“Current activity guidelines suggest accumulating 150 minutes or more of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week in bouts lasting 10 or more minutes,” Barbara J. Jefferis, BA, MSc, PhD, FHEA, of the department of primary care and population health at University College in London, and colleagues wrote. “We address important gaps in knowledge by focusing on older men ... [and] investigating dose–response associations, testing for linear and non-linear associations in order to understand whether the reductions in mortality risk for higher levels of physical activity are linear, or if there is a threshold level at which the benefits per unit of activity decrease (and conversely for sedentary behavior).”

Exercise confers benefit in HFpEF

Higher amounts of physical activity increased physical function of quality of life and submaximal exercise capacity in patients with HF with preserved ejection fraction, according to a study published in ESC Heart Failure.

“Recommendations on the intensity of [physical activity] to prevent HFpEF and to improve QOL do not exist so far,” Anna Bobenko, MD, of the department of cardiology at Charité at Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the German Centre for Cardiovascular Research in Berlin, and colleagues wrote. “Our study shows a clear dose dependency of high-intensity [physical activity] and physical dimensions of QOL in HFpEF, which was not found for total amount of [physical activity].”

AHA: ‘Sit less, move more’

Sedentary behavior, even among those who are physically active, is associated with greater risk for CVD, diabetes, impaired insulin sensitivity and all-cause mortality, according to a scientific statement from the American Heart Association.

“The state of the science right now is we don't know how much is too much,” Deborah Rohm Young, PhD, director of behavioral research at Kaiser Permanente Southern California in Pasadena and chair of the new scientific statement, told Cardiology Today. “But, we do know the evidence is highly suggestive that too much sitting or being sedentary is associated with increased CV morbidity and mortality.”