New study suggests that physical activity can work better than medicines prescribed for heart and stroke patients, according to the paper published in the British Medical Journal.
The study announced the result after comparing the merits of exercise with the effects of some popular medicines such as statins and beta blockers which are given to those patients who experienced heart attacks and strokes.
The research carried out by researcher Huseyin Naci of LSE Health, London School of Economics and Political Science and Harvard Medical School, with US colleagues at Stanford University School of Medicine.
Researchers observed nearly 340,000 patients to assess the effects of exercise in comparing with drugs in reducing the risk of dying.
The research team examined the findings of 305 trials on four conditions including Pre-diabetes, heart disease, stroke and heart failure.
The examination unraveled that prescribing exercise for stroke victims, who were more likely to avoid death, was better than taking drugs.
The team also indicated that there was no significant difference between the benefits of exercise and drugs for those with diabetes or those ones who were suffering from heart disease.
œExercise should be considered as a viable alternative to, or alongside, drug therapy,” Naci emphasized.
œWhile there is limited evidence comparing the effect of exercise to that of drugs, further research is needed before we can draw any firm conclusions,” said the senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation Amy Thompson.
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