From the Guidelines
Lifestyle modifications are crucial for patients with Coronary Artery Disease (CAD).
Key Recommendations
- Aerobic physical activity of at least 150–300 min per week of moderate intensity or 75–150 min per week of vigorous intensity is recommended 1
- Reduction in sedentary time is also advised 1
- Multidisciplinary behavioural approaches to help patients achieve healthy lifestyles, in addition to appropriate pharmacological management, are recommended 1
- Smoking cessation, weight loss, reduced sodium intake, moderation of alcohol consumption, and an overall healthy dietary pattern are entirely appropriate for patients with CAD 1
- Home-based cardiac rehabilitation and mobile health interventions should be considered to increase patients’ long-term adherence to healthy behaviours, and to reduce hospitalizations or cardiac events 1
Additional Considerations
- Education and counselling on eliminating risk factors, healthy food choices, stress relief, and exercise provide substantial benefit for patients 1
- Lifestyle interventions can have a significant impact on outcomes after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) 1
- Secondary prevention programmes can significantly reduce all-cause mortality and myocardial infarction 1
- Initiatives should be undertaken to increase the rate of prescribing appropriate discharge medications and to emphasize the need for long-term medication compliance and lifestyle changes 1
From the Research
Lifestyle Recommendations for Patients with Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)
The following lifestyle recommendations are suggested for patients with CAD:
- A healthy diet, as part of a comprehensive lifestyle program, can significantly reduce the risk of recurrent events in patients with CAD 2
- Smoking cessation, weight loss, and improving physical activity are important lifestyle-related risk factors that need to be addressed in patients with CAD 2, 3
- Regular physical exercise, a healthy diet, not smoking, and maintaining a healthy weight are all important components of a healthy lifestyle for patients with CAD 4, 5, 6
- Adherence to a healthy lifestyle has been shown to lower the risk of future adverse events in CAD patients and plays an important role in secondary prevention 4
- A favorable lifestyle, including no smoking, no obesity, regular physical activity, and a healthy diet, can reduce the risk of CAD by 44% compared to an unfavorable lifestyle 5
- Lifestyle modifications, such as exercise and diet interventions, have been shown to have a beneficial impact on all-cause mortality in patients with CAD 6
Key Lifestyle Factors
Some key lifestyle factors that are important for patients with CAD to consider include:
- Quitting smoking, as smoking is a major risk factor for CAD 2, 3
- Losing weight, if overweight or obese, as excess weight can increase the risk of CAD 2, 5
- Engaging in regular physical activity, such as walking or other aerobic exercises, to improve cardiovascular health 2, 4, 6
- Eating a healthy diet, including plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, to help reduce the risk of CAD 3, 4, 5
- Managing stress, getting enough sleep, and maintaining a healthy social network to help reduce the risk of CAD 3, 4