Regular exercise can improve the chances of survival after a heart attack in elderly individuals. Regular exercise can not only prevent heart attack, but also improve survival rates after a heart attack in case of elderly subjects. . The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the positive role of an active lifestyle on cardiac prognosis extends to elderly patients with a heart attack who undergo an angioplasty. Researchers at the Federico II University, Naples in Italy examined the daily physical activity levels maintained by 168 men and women, aged 70 years and older, after 30 days and 1 year of the angioplasty. Exercise questionnaires obtained at the time of angioplasty identified 52 patients who participated in less than 15 minutes of daily activity (low) and 66 who reported 15 to 30 minutes of daily activity (medium). The remaining 50 patients participated in more than 30 minutes of moderate physical activity (high), such as walking, gardening, or cycling, each day. The results indicated that elderly individuals who exercised regularly had better chances of survival after a heart attack than those who didn't exercise. During the 30-day period following angioplasty, cardiac deaths occurred in about 23 percent of the low activity group and in just over 18 percent of the medium activity group. By contrast, cardiac deaths occurred in just 4 percent of those in the high activity group. The one-year outcomes showed cardiac deaths in nearly 29 and 23 percent of the low and medium activity groups, respectively, but in just 8 percent of the high activity group. Moreover, those in the high activity group also had lower overall 30-day and 1-year rates of non-fatal events, including another heart attack, repeat angioplasty, congestive heart failure, and stroke, compared with those in the low and medium activity groups. An active lifestyle is an independent predictor of survival in elderly patients who have undergone primary angioplasty for the treatment of acute myocardial infarction. Thus, it is vital for older people suffering from heart disease to continue exercising
American Heart Journal,
September 2007