Esercizio fisico ed attività sportiva in pazienti con e senza cardiopatia ischemica Physical exercise and Sport activities in patients with and without coronary heart disease

Physical exercise and Sport activities in patients with and without coronary heart disease. G. Francavilla, M.G. Abrignani, A. Braschi, R. Sciacca, V.C. Francavilla, M. Malvezzi Caracciolo, N. Renda, C. Riccio, A. Scaglione, G. Braschi. Background: The quantity and intensity of physical ac- tivity required for the primary prevention of coronary heart disease remain unclear. Therefore, we examined the associ- ation between physical activity and coronary risk. Methods: We studied 100 patients with chest pain, 78 men and 22 women, not older than 65 years, admitted to a coronary care unit. Patients were subdivided in 3 groups: the first group included patients with acute myocardial in- farction, the second group included patients with chronic heart disease, the third included patients with non-ischemic chest-pain. A questionnaire on daily physical activity was filled by each patient. Results: A significantly higher percentage of patients with myocardial infarction and coronary heart disease had a seden- tary life style compared to patients of the third group. Com- pared with subjects without heart disease, a significantly high- er percentage of patients of the first and second group covered a daily average distance shorter than 500 meters, while a sig- nificantly inferior percentage covered a distance longer than 1 Km every day. A significantly lower percentage of patients with coronary heart disease practised sport compared with the third group. At the time of hospitalization a very small per- centage of coronary heart disease patients still practised sport. Conclusions: The association between physical activity and reduced coronary risk is clear; in order to obtain bene- fits it is sufficient just walking every day. Regarding physi- cal activity, continuity is important: patients, who practised sport only in juvenile age, breaking off when older, may lose the obtained advantages.