Cardiology experts have published a position paper urging doctors to prescribe exercise for people with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
The paper published yesterday (15 January) in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology outlines a series of recommendations on motivating patients to incorporate physical activity into their daily routine.
First author, Dr Hareld Kemps of Maxima Medical Centre, the Netherlands, explains: "The large majority of type two diabetes patients, including those with coronary artery disease, are not engaged in regular exercise training.
"Sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy diets are the most important drivers of the increasing number of patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular problems such as heart attacks. Diabetes doubles the risk of mortality but the fitter patients become, the more that risk declines."
But he points out that just advising patients to exercise, which is what doctors typically do, is not enough. Instead "Patients must be assessed for comorbidities, risks related to exercise, and personal preferences".
The authors believe that helping patients set achievable and measurable goals based on individualised exercise training programmes "will be cost effective in the long run".
Dr Kemps adds: "There are also steps patients can take without needing to see a doctor first, such as interrupting sitting time and doing moderate exercise like walking and cycling."
The recommendations are jointly written by a team of experts at the European Association of Preventive Cardiology.
In terms of tracking the improvements from regular exercise, the authors suggest focusing on clinical measurements of cardiorespiratory fitness and glycaemic control. These are both directly related to wellbeing, morbidity and mortality, the authors state.
Kemps, H. et al. Exercise training for patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease: What to pursue and how to do it. A Position Paper of the European Association of Preventive Cardiology (EAPC). European Journal of Preventive Cardiology 15 January 2019; doi: 10.1177/2047487318820420
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