I see a number of patients in the office after having had a heart attack or stroke.  Many patients are afraid to exert themselves or their spouse is worried about the patients “over doing it.”

I have to reassure them that being physically active and exerting themselves actually preserved their lives and improves longevity.  In fact, recent research shows that patients who sit for more than 14 hours a day have twice the risk of experiencing another cardiac event or dying within a year.

Yes. Let me emphasize that again. Those who sit for more than 14 hours a day have twice the risk of experiencing another cardiac event or dying within a year.

However, replacing just 30 minutes of sitting with ANY FORM of activity can cut that risk in half.

The folks at Circulation studied over 600 men with an average age of 62 years old. The average sedentary time was 13.6 hours per day.  They added any form of physical activity for 30 minutes to the study group and risk for another heart attack or death decreased by 61%.

“Our study provides some of the strongest evidence yet that long periods of sedentary time after a heart event are linked to a higher risk of future heart problems or death,” lead study author Keith Diaz, a professor at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City, said in an interview with George Citroner.

Those in the study group who were less active, with an average of more than 14 hours of sitting or inactivity each day, were more than twice as likely to have a heart problem known as acute coronary syndrome, the symptoms of which can include chest pain or discomfort, or death within a year.  That’s a huge finding, and it means if you don’t want to die within a year of a heart attack or vascular problem, get up off the couch for 30 minutes every day.

What’s fascinating is that the study found that even replacing sedentary time with sleep lowered the risk by 14%, and that those who were more active tended to do more light activity and sleep longer. In contrast, less active participants sat for longer periods and slept less.

We’ve known for years that sleep helps the body and mind recover, which is particularly important after a serious health event like a heart attack or stroke.

So, if you have a heart attack or stroke, what’s your strategy to heal?

Mine is this . . .

1. Do something physical 30 minutes per day, even if it is just taking a leisurely walk.
2. Follow a carbohydrate restricted diet. Remember, you cannot outrun a bad diet.
3. Manage chronic stress.
4. Use the appropriate medications (Berberine, Curcumin, Omega 3 fatty acid, etc) and herbal products that we have available to help improve vascular disease.
5. Get 7 or 8 hours of restful sleep.

To Your Health & Longevity,
Adam Nally, DO
President/CEO
DocMuscles0
DrNally@DocMuscles.com
(623) 584-7805 – Work
www.DocMuscles.com