Pharmacist Manish Bansal Florida Says Exercising Up to 20% Below Healthy Average Amount Can Reduce CVD Risk

October 24, 2016

Just a small amount of exercise can provide preventive benefits against risk factors for heart disease, a recent study suggests.

The analysis, slated to be published in the forthcoming edition of the Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation and Prevention, found that patients with heart disease could lower their mortality risk by maintaining levels of activity up to 20% below what is considered healthy for average people.

Risk factors for cardiovascular disease that can be abated with physical activity include high blood pressure, being overweight or obese, and having high cholesterol or blood sugar.

The findings may come as a relief for patients with heart disease struggling to adjust away from their largely sedentary lifestyles.

"This is great news for people with heart disease who have difficulty adhering to a regular -- mainly aerobic -- exercise program," said study leader Daniel Curnier, a professor at the University of Montreal's Department of Kinesiology, in a press release. "Small improvements in their fitness level are enough. You don't have to be a great athlete to benefit from these effects."

Dr. Manish Bansal, a pharmacist specializing in cardiovascular health, notes that pharmacists are particularly well positioned to dispense such guidance.

"The pharmacist’s role can be very important," he explained. "Many patients have been seeing their same pharmacist for years and have an excellent working relationship. The pharmacist can re-emphasize the importance of physical activity and the benefits"

Community pharmacists in particular may be best placed to offer such guidance. "Patients are generally less stressed out of the office or hospital environment and maybe more amenable to these suggestions," he posits.

Patients view pharmacists as both community members and health care counselors,. As such, they are willing to take a pharmacist’s advice on heart disease prevention steps.

"The pharmacists recommendations and patients’ adherence to physical activity can be life changing," Dr. Bansal emphasized.