Exercise Effective In Treating Certain Diseases
Exercise is as beneficial or more so than treating certain ailments with drugs, according to researchers at Harvard and Stanford Universities.
The study, published in the British Medical Journal, compared the results of exercise/drug routines in patients suffering from heart disease, pre-diabetes, as well as patients recovering from stroke.
The scientists found no difference between exercise and drug regimens for heart disease and pre-diabetes patients, while noting that exercise was more effective in helping stroke patients recover.
"In cases where drug options provide only modest benefit, patients deserve to understand the relative impact that physical activity might have on their condition," said study authors Huseyin Naci of Harvard and John Ioannidis of Stanford.
In contrast to the study's results, Medical News Today observed that most adults in the U.S. and U.K. do not meet recommended levels of physical activity; meanwhile, prescription drug rates continue to rise.