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Exercise Helps Heart Attack Victims Avoid Repeat

Wed, 11/22/2000 - 1:00am — Karen Stevenson
Description: 

Men and women who stayed active after a first heart attack were significantly less likely to die early or to have a second heart attack, according to research in the journal Circulation. Patients who kept physically active after a first heart attack had a 60% lower risk of fatal heart attack or a second nonfatal heart attack than those who did not.

Lyn Steffen-Batey, an assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Texas led the study. Steffen-Batey said that unlike other studies that have focused on a specific group, her results applied no matter how severe someone's heart attack was and held for men, women, Hispanics and whites, smokers and people with high or low cholesterol.

Researchers studied 406 Mexican-American and non-Hispanic white survivors of a first heart attack admitted to hospitals in the Corpus Christi, Texas, area. Only four of the people in the study were classified as vigorous exercisers, which was not surprising since regular, vigorous exercise significantly reduces the risk of ever having a heart attack in the first place.

Researchers noted that smoking and eating habits had less effect on outcomes -- physical activity was the most noticeable similarity among those who avoided a second attack.

Men and women who stayed active after a first heart attack were significantly less likely to die early or to have a second heart attack, according to research in the journal Circulation. Patients who kept physically active after a first heart attack had a 60% lower risk of fatal heart attack or a second nonfatal heart attack than those who did not.

Lyn Steffen-Batey, an assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Texas led the study. Steffen-Batey said that unlike other studies that have focused on a specific group, her results applied no matter how severe someone's heart attack was and held for men, women, Hispanics and whites, smokers and people with high or low cholesterol.

Researchers studied 406 Mexican-American and non-Hispanic white survivors of a first heart attack admitted to hospitals in the Corpus Christi, Texas, area. Only four of the people in the study were classified as vigorous exercisers, which was not surprising since regular, vigorous exercise significantly reduces the risk of ever having a heart attack in the first place.

Researchers noted that smoking and eating habits had less effect on outcomes -- physical activity was the most noticeable similarity among those who avoided a second attack.