Why is exercise good for people with heart disease?

It’s axiomatic that exercise benefits your heart. Unless you have a note from your doctor, there’s no excuse to be inactive.

But what does exercise actually do that’s good for your heart?

The results of a study presented during the annual meeting of the American Psychosomatic Society might hold the answer. It shows that exercise decreases inflammation, which reduces the risk of heart disease due to atherosclerotic fatty build-up in arteries.

According to Medical News Today, 46 healthy young adults (20-45 years old) participated in moderate or high intensity aerobic exercise for 12 weeks.

Blood samples showed that levels of tumor necrosis factor (a protein that controls inflammation) were lower after both moderate and high-intensity exercise. Dr. Richard Sloan from Columbia University Medical Center concluded, “These findings suggest strongly that exercise reduces the systemic inflammation that can lead to heart disease.”

3/13/07 19:53 JR