Dr Tony Neaverson, Preventive Cardiologist, Nu-Life Medical Services Pty Ltd, PO Box 1548 Noosaville BC 4566, Aus.

Most of us would be far better off, medically speaking, if we did more exercise. There is good evidence that the greatest reduction in cardiac death occurs in those who move from sedentary (no exercise) to occasional (one session per week) with 8% reduction.

On the other extreme those who go from moderately heavy to very heavy activity actually have an increased, albeit small, risk of cardiac death.

Improving eating habits, exercise and smoking cessation have been shown by Chew et al to halve the six month risk of further heart attack after an acute episode.

Most health funds regard primary prevention programmes as poor value as the cost of motivating lifestyle changes to a level sufficient to reduce risk of a cardiac event far outweigh the benefits. How about a pill? What better pill than a statin !!

Three quarters of the world’s use of statins is for primary prevention – stopping a heart attack. No wonder the pharmaceutical industry went bananas when the Jupiter Trial was stopped early because of effects remarkably marvelous- lo and behold the statin was indeed protective against the placebo.

Now almost two years later the birds have come back to roost and the investigators legitimacy are being challenged from all sides.

One misbeliever quoted in the Annals of Internal Medicine June 28 2010 The trial was flawed and concluded The results of the trial do not support the use of statin treatment for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease and raise troubling questions concerning the role of commercial sponsors.

Another summed up that statin therapy as primary prevention in high risk patients is less beneficial and even less helpful in low risk patients.

On a more mundane level Nu-Life has been soldiering on with a long term observational study over eight years of Neocardial Exercise the results of which were presented at the October IMSANZ-RACP Meeting by Nu-Life™’s exercise physiologist Ashley DaRoza.

392 patients having completed a Phase Two Programme entered a long term Phase Three Observational Study. Of these 249 (63.8%) have completed over five years with 160 (64.3%) maintaining a life style equivalent or better than at entry.

As patients progressed over time there is significant improvement in fitness. Even more importantly HDL levels (the Good Cholesterol) significantly increased over the years.

In conclusion Fitness improved significantly over time in both Primary and Secondary Prevention irrespective of sex, age, fitness level or obesity grades

 THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE FOR ALL HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS IS TO HELP THEIR PATIENTS MAINTAIN A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

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