Every heart loves movement

Interview with Prof. Dr. med. Christophe Wyss

Prof. Dr. med. Christophe Wyss - Interventional Cardiology - HerzKlinik Hirslanden

Many factors influence heart health. Cardiologists agree: sport and exercise are equally good for the healthy and the sick heart. As so often, however, it depends on the right dosage.

Those who get enough exercise prevent secondary damage that can be dangerous for the heart. "Obesity, blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol are major risk factors for coronary heart disease, such as blockages of the coronary arteries and heart attacks," explains cardiologist Christophe Wyss from Herzklinik Hirslanden. All four risk factors can be positively influenced by exercise as well as a healthy diet and not smoking.

How much exercise is enough for the heart?

But how intensively and how often should you exercise if you are neither a super athlete nor a workout fanatic? To reduce the risk to the cardiovascular system and maintain heart health, the European Society of Cardiology recommends 150 minutes of moderate exercise or, alternatively, 75 minutes of intense exercise per week. Moderate means, for example, dancing, brisk walking, vacuuming, mowing the lawn or golfing. Intensive activities are jogging, cycling, swimming lengths or even a single on the tennis court. What sounds like little quickly becomes a challenge in everyday life. "30 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise five days a week - that's hardly feasible for many," confirms Wyss. That's why he recommends that sporty people incorporate as much exercise as possible into their daily routine. "Taking the stairs instead of the elevator" or "getting off one stop earlier" are proven classics.

Not from zero to one hundred

Anyone who, at 50, suddenly gets the idea of signing up for the marathon in New York because their body has been shortchanged over the last ten years is taking a risk. "High loads from a standing start are dangerous for an untrained body," Wyss clarifies. But the heart attack patient is by no means always the smoking, overweight diabetic of advanced age. Hard physical exertion can pro-voke a heart attack even in well-trained athletes. For example, if there are undetected congenital malformations of coronary arteries or undetected heart muscle disease. "40 percent of heart attacks are due to a genetic predisposition," explains Christophe Wyss. And despite intensive research, cardiology still knows very little about the genetic causes.

Knowing the individual risk profile

The individual risk of heart attack can be examined in a cardiovascular consultation. The cardiologist compares blood pressure, cholesterol profile, family history, smoking status and other factors with comprehensive databases to determine a statistical 10-year risk profile. "These profiles are statistical probabilities, not absolute prognoses," Wyss emphasizes, "yet they can be useful for men over 40 and for women over 50."

What to do after a heart attack?

Whereas doctors used to automatically prescribe rest and recuperation for heart patients, we now know that heart attacks and sport are not mutually exclusive. On the contrary. "Exercise reduces the risk of recurrence, shortens the recovery time and promotes health in a holistic way," Wyss emphasizes. However, the training should take place under guidance and in consultation with the attending physician, because the type and severity of the heart attack or heart condition determines the intensity. The so-called heart groups also show a very good effect after a heart attack (for a list, see swissheartgroups.ch). According to Wyss, these group training sessions are not only useful after a heart attack, but also as an effective preventive measure, especially for people with a high risk profile.

(Text source: Clau Isenring)