Exercise should be prescribed alongside medications and other treatments to prevent and manage cardiovascular disease, according to a new scientific statement from the American College of Cardiology published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology [1][2]. The statement says clinicians should incorporate physical activity counseling into routine cardiovascular care and treat exercise as a foundational therapy rather than an optional lifestyle recommendation [3][4].
The document, issued by the ACC, states that low cardiorespiratory fitness — the body’s ability to deliver oxygen to muscles during sustained activity — is a predictor of future cardiovascular disease risk comparable to established risk factors including smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes [3]. According to the statement, regular physical activity, structured exercise programs, and improved cardiorespiratory fitness can increase exercise capacity, reduce hospitalizations, and improve quality of life [3]. An umbrella review published in the journal Sports Medicine that analyzed six large research reviews covering more than 31,000 people examined whether cardiorespiratory fitness, most commonly measured through VO2 max, can serve as a diagnostic tool for existing heart disease or a predictor of future cardiac events [5].
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