Arthritic heart patients fear exercise, CDC says
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Patients with arthritis and heart disease may be afraid to get the exercise they need to improve their health, U.S. government researchers said on Thursday.
They may not realize that a little exercise will relieve both conditions, the team at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
The researchers studied data from two national health surveys to find that 57 percent of adults with heart disease have arthritis, too, the team reported in the CDC's weekly report on death and disease.
About 29 percent of adults with arthritis and heart disease admitted they rarely or never exercised, compared to 21 percent of people with heart disease alone, 18 percent of those with arthritis and 11 percent of adults with neither condition.
"Engaging in regular physical activity can help reduce arthritis pain and improve joint function, which in turn can help people with heart disease get more active and better manage both conditions," said the CDC's Dr. Chad Helmick.
"Unfortunately, many people living with both arthritis and heart disease seldom or never exercise because they may be unsure about which activities are safe and worry about aggravating their joint or heart problems," said Janet Collins, director of CDC's National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.
(Reporting by Maggie Fox; Editing by Bill Trott)
