Review article

Physical Activity – the Panacea of Cardiovascular Diseases

Dario Gulin
Jozica Šikić

Abstract

Physical inactivity combined with sedentary lifestyle is considered one of the independent risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. Numerous studies have demonstrated the inverse correlation between the level of physical activity and the incidence of cardiovascular diseases. Physical activity is not just a predictor of cardiovascular disease in healthy individuals, but also in individuals with previously known disease. The cardiovascular protective effect of physical activity involves various mechanisms that are based on the improvement of endothelial function, decrease in sympathetic neural activity and reduction of arterial stiffness. Enormous efforts are needed to promote the change of the ingrained unhealthy habits at personal, community and political level in order to establish physical activity as lifestyle. Finally, from the perspective of public health, no drug is as powerful as physical activity, at any age.

Keywords

physical activity; cardiovascular risk; arterial hypertension; coronary artery disease; heart failure

Hrčak ID:

227111

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/227111

Publication date:

28.10.2019.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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