| Multiple prior clinical research studies have identified a | | | | patients reporting low levels of personal stress did |
| link between high levels of stress and the risk of | | | | not appear to experience any significant |
| death in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). | | | | improvement in mortality risk whether they achieved |
| Aerobic exercise training is a standard component of | | | | a high level of exercise capacity improvement or a |
| rehabilitation programs for patients with CAD. A | | | | low level of exercise capacity improvement. |
| properly supervised exercise training program for | | | | The results of this study suggest that (as has |
| patients with CAD, including patients who have | | | | previously been shown) a high level of personal |
| suffered a heart attack, has been shown to reduce | | | | stress is independently associated with an increased |
| the risk of CAD-related death. At the same time, it is | | | | risk of dying from preexisting CAD. A second finding |
| also well known that regular aerobic exercise can also | | | | of this study, which has also been confirmed by |
| help patients to better cope with high levels of | | | | other studies, is that self-perceived levels of stress |
| personal stress, and also improves the symptoms of | | | | can be significantly reduced with regular aerobic |
| depression and other mental health disorders, as well. | | | | exercise. The most interesting and novel finding of |
| An intriguing clinical research study, newly published in | | | | this study, however, is that exercising at a level that |
| the American Journal of Medicine, evaluated the | | | | increases one's exercise capacity by at least 10 |
| impact of exercise training on the risk of death in | | | | percent appears to be a potentially powerful way of |
| patients with CAD. The two "experimental" groups of | | | | reducing the increased mortality risk that is |
| patients included 53 patients with CAD who reported | | | | associated with chronically elevated levels of personal |
| high levels of stress in their lives, and 369 patients | | | | stress in patients with CAD. |
| with CAD who reported low stress levels in their | | | | One potential limitation of this clinical study is that it is |
| personal lives. These two groups of patients | | | | not entirely clear how well the patients in each group |
| participated in a cardiac rehabilitation program that | | | | were matched in terms of the severity of their CAD |
| included formal aerobic exercise training. A "control" | | | | (as well as other chronic illnesses, including mental |
| group of 27 patients with CAD was also included in | | | | health and personality disorders). For example, at |
| this research study, and these control patients also | | | | least some of the experimental group patients who |
| reported high levels of stress in their lives. However, | | | | were unable to improve their exercise capacity by at |
| unlike the experimental group patients, this control | | | | least 10 percent may have been unable to do so due |
| group of patients did not undergo cardiac | | | | to the presence of serious illnesses (including more |
| rehabilitation, or any other form of supervised | | | | severe heart disease) that limited their ability to |
| exercise training. The subsequent findings of this | | | | exercise. In such cases, the increased risk of |
| clinical research study were rather dramatic. | | | | mortality observed in this study may have been |
| Overall, the risk of death among the patients with | | | | directly caused by the presence of more serious |
| CAD who reported high levels of stress was a | | | | illnesses in these patients, when compared to the |
| whopping 4 times greater than the mortality rate of | | | | patients who were able to more dramatically improve |
| the patients with low levels of stress in their lives (22 | | | | their exercise capacity. However, as most of the |
| percent vs. 5 percent, respectively). | | | | findings of this clinical research study are consistent |
| As has been shown in previous clinical studies, regular | | | | with larger and better controlled previous studies, it is |
| aerobic exercise appears to decrease self-reported | | | | very likely that there is some validity in its more |
| stress levels. In this study, the percentage of | | | | novel conclusions (and, most notably, that vigorous |
| patients reporting severe levels of stress declined | | | | and regular aerobic exercise may directly reduce |
| from 10 percent, at the beginning of the study, to 4 | | | | stress-related physiological factors that increase the |
| percent, by the end of the study, among patients | | | | risk of dying from CAD). |
| who underwent formal exercise training. | | | | Prior to embarking on a new or more vigorous |
| Perhaps the most interesting finding from this study | | | | exercise program, I advise that you first be |
| was that patients who increased their total exercise | | | | evaluated by your personal physician, especially if you |
| capacity by at least 10 percent also lowered their risk | | | | have CAD or other serious illnesses. (For an in-depth |
| of death by a rather amazing 60 percent when | | | | overview of the benefits of exercise on cancer |
| compared to patients who achieved a less than 10 | | | | prevention, look for the publication of my new book, |
| percent improvement in exercise capacity. Moreover, | | | | "A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race," in |
| among the patients who reported high levels of | | | | the spring of 2010.) |
| stress in their lives, the risk of dying during the | | | | Disclaimer: As always, my advice to readers is to |
| course of this clinical study was dramatically reduced | | | | seek the advice of your physician before making any |
| in the group of patients who were able to increase | | | | significant changes in medications, diet, or level of |
| their prior exercise capacity by at least 10 percent. In | | | | physical activity |
| fact, while 19 percent of the "highly stressed" | | | | The information in this column is intended for |
| patients who achieved little or no improvement in | | | | informational purposes only, and does not constitute |
| their exercise capacity died during the course of this | | | | medical advice or recommendations by the author. |
| study, none of the "stressed" CAD patients who | | | | Please consult with your physician before making any |
| managed to increase their exercise capacity by at | | | | lifestyle or medication changes, or if you have any |
| least 10 percent died. On the other hand, CAD | | | | other concerns regarding your health. |