Swiss researchers reported Monday that any of several types of exercise can benefit people who have recently survived a heart attack. They also found that those benefits disappear when exercise is discontinued.

The researchers assigned more than 200 people who had previously suffered a heart attack to one of four exercise groups: aerobic training, resistance workouts, a combination of the two, or no exercise at all. They found that after four weeks, all three groups who were assigned to some type of exercise showed similar levels of improvement in blood vessel function, while those who did not participate in regular exercise showed no such improvement.

Some of the participants were then asked to stop their exercise regimens. One month later, all the improvements related to exercise were gone: the blood vessels of those who stopped working out had returned to their pre-exercise state.

It is unknown if the improvements in blood vessel function associated with exercise actually translate to better health and longer lives, but the researchers think it is likely. Heart disease is the world’s leading cause of death, while poor blood vessel health is the major cause of heart disease. Any improvement in vessel health is likely to reduce the risk of future heart problems.

To find out more about heart diseases, read the Healia Health Guide to Heart Disease.

^{_{Photo: Mr. T. in DC, Flickr, Creative Commons}}