RESEARCH - Vital physical activity for adults with heart disease hindered by arthritis

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Vital Physical Activity For Adults With Heart Disease Hindered By Arthritis

MedicalNewsToday.com

Article Date: 01 Mar 2009 - 0:00 PST

Arthritis affects more than half of adults with heart disease and

appears to be a substantial barrier to utilizing physical activity to

help manage their condition, according to a new Morbidity and

Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) study released today by the Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). According to the Arthritis

Foundation, the study underscores the importance of physical activity

in effective management for adults with both arthritis and heart

disease.

The study is one of the first of its kind to look at the relationship

between arthritis and heart disease, and the probable effect of

arthritis on physical activity among those with heart disease. The

study found that arthritis affected 57 percent of adults with heart

disease. Further, people with both diseases were more likely to be

physically inactive (29 percent), in contrast to those with heart

disease alone (21 percent). Adults with heart disease who are

sedentary due to arthritis pain are not benefiting from physical

activity that has been shown to help manage both diseases.

" People with arthritis often fear physical activity will worsen their

pain - and that's a major myth, " said Patience White, MD, MA, chief

public health officer for the Arthritis Foundation. " However, just 30

minutes of daily physical activity has been shown to reduce arthritis

pain and disability and help manage heart disease by lowering blood

pressure and cholesterol. "

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http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/140591.php

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