Statin-Exercise Combo Lowers Mortality Risk

http://www.medpagetoday.com/PrimaryCare/GeneralPrimaryCare/36134Statin therapy and physical fitness amounted to a one-two punch for lowering mortality risk in a large cohort of middle-age and older patients with dyslipidemia followed for 10 years.Patients who took statins and were physically fit had as much as a 70% reduction in the risk of dying during the follow-up period as compared with the least physically fit patients who were taking statins, according to Peter Kokkinos, PhD, of George Washington University in Washington, and colleagues.Physical fitness also had an independent effect on mortality risk among patients who were not taking statins, reducing the likelihood of death during follow-up by as much as 47%, they reported online in The Lancet."Statin treatment and increased fitness are independently associated with low mortality among dyslipidemic individuals," the authors wrote. "The combination of statin treatment and increased fitness resulted in substantially lower mortality risk than either alone, reinforcing the importance of physical activity for individuals with dyslipidemia."Expert and consensus panels on lipid management have endorsed statin therapy and lifestyle changes, including increased physical activity, to reduce cardiovascular risk. The benefits of statins have been demonstrated in multiple large clinical trials, and evidence from large epidemiologic studies has shown robust inverse associations between physical fitness and mortality risk in health...
Source: Dr Portnay - Category: Cardiology Authors: Source Type: blogs