Physical activity after coronary revascularization

Sedentary lifestyle is a reversible risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and CVD mortality. Conversely, regular physical activity (PA) reduces vascular mortality by 20-30% in healthy individuals and in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). In this context, PA leads to significant improvements in prognosis, particularly in CAD patients with or without intervention. PA increases fitness and improves mental health, as well as exerting a positive effect on various risk factors, including hypertension, LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels, diabetes and overweight. The improvements resulting from PA are independent of and additional to those of drugs. In their study published in this issue of the Journal, Acar et al. analyze the factors influencing PA in patients who have undergone coronary revascularization. In a population in which most patients (77%) were inactive, the parameters influencing sedentary habits on multivariate analysis were low education level and lack of regular follow-up. The first point to be noted in this study is the low level of regular PA in these patients (only 23%). Bearing in mind the known benefits of PA, this means that intervention in this area could significantly improve prognosis of CAD patients.