title: Exercise at the Extremes: The Amount of Exercise to Reduce Cardiovascular Events.
abstract: Habitual physical activity and regular exercise training improve cardiovascular health and longevity. A physically active lifestyle is, therefore, a key aspect of primary and secondary prevention strategies. An appropriate volume and intensity are essential to maximally benefit from exercise interventions. This document summarizes available evidence on the relationship between the exercise volume and risk reductions in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Furthermore, the risks and benefits of moderate- versus high-intensity exercise interventions are compared. Findings are presented for the general population and cardiac patients eligible for cardiac rehabilitation. Finally, the controversy of excessive volumes of exercise in the athletic population is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Sports and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom; Department of Physiology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Thijs M H
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Eijsvogels
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Silvana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Molossi
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology, College of Human Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.
authors.forename: Duck-Chul
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Krannert Institute of Cardiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana.
authors.forename: Michael S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Emery
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Hartford Hospital, Hartford, Connecticut. Electronic address: Paul.Thompson@hhchealth.org.
authors.forename: Paul D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Thompson
mesh_terms: D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008136:Longevity; D009043:Motor Activity; D018570:Risk Assessment; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior
keywords: athletes; cardiac patients; coronary artery disease; health; heart failure; longevity; mortality; myocardial infarction; physical activity