According to a study presented at the ESC Preventive Cardiology Congress, patients can safely engage in physical activity within the first week after a heart attack without increasing their risk of another cardiovascular event.
Physical activity is often recommended after a heart attack, but cardiac rehabilitation programmes often begin weeks or months after discharge, leading many patients to avoid activity immediately afterward.
To examine the effects of early movement on future cardiac events, researchers followed 165 patients for up to five years after a heart attack. The participants had an average age of 65 years, and 35 per cent were female.
During the first week after discharge, participants wore monitors on their upper legs to track their physical activity. They also completed questionnaires about their activity before the heart attack.
Researchers tracked major adverse cardiovascular events, including death, recurrent heart attack, acute heart failure, stroke and unplanned coronary procedures.
Participants were divided into two groups based on activity levels. The more active group moved for nearly five hours daily, including light activities such as getting dressed, making coffee and about one hour of walking. The activity did not include moderate- or high-intensity exercise or sports. The less active group moved for approximately 2.5 hours per day.
Over the five-year follow-up, there was no significant difference in new heart problems between those who became active immediately after discharge and those who remained less active, suggesting that early physical activity is safe after a heart attack.
The study also found that participants who had been more physically active before their heart attack experienced fewer cardiovascular problems in the years that followed compared with more sedentary individuals.
“Our findings suggest that being physically active after discharge was not associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events,” the lead researcher said, adding that the period after a heart attack may be an ideal time to encourage healthier lifestyle behaviours.
