Exercise Can Beat Heart Surgery

What if instead of having surgery to open up a clogged artery, your doctor told you it would be a better idea to log 30 minutes on the bike? According to findings presented at the European Congress of Cardiology 2009, cardio can actually be more effective than going under the knife. Plus, it's a lot more fun and costs a tad less, too.

If it seems too good to be true, honestly, there's no catch. "A moderate aerobic workout like biking or brisk walking for about a half hour a day or at least five days a week can train your heart to be healthier so you won't need a stent," says Dr. Christopher Cannon, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. A consistent exercise plan slows the heart rate and lowers blood pressure so your heart doesn't have to work as hard. "Therefore it can make do with a slightly reduced amount of blood from the blockage," says Cannon.

Cardiovascular risk gradually increases for everyone as we age, but the risk jumps sharply after menopause. "Although we don't know why for certain, it's likely estrogen acts as a protector against heart disease," Cannon says. "As estrogen levels decrease it leaves women more vulnerable." And here's a fact to ward off any thoughts you might be having resembling, 'this won't happen to me': The American Heart Association's latest figures show 1,314,000 angioplasties -- the procedure that inserts the stent -- were done in the United States in 2006.

There are other heart-healthy benefits exercise has over a stent, which only opens a single artery. A good schvitz lowers bad cholesterol and raises the good kind, prevents plaque build-up in the arteries and improves the lining of the blood vessels. However, don't self diagnose. It all depends on the severity of your clogged artery. So talk to your doctor. "But for 85 percent of patients, this would be the optimal solution," says Cannon.

To learn more, check out this story on angioplasty and stent placement. And find out whether you should be sporting a heart rate monitor during your workouts.