Dr John Mandrola recently wrote a thought-provoking piece on Medscape. He cited the findings of researchers from Texas Presbyterian Hospital that sedentary volunteers put through a year-long exercise training programme developed structural cardiac changes seen in elite level athletes.

He went on to present a case of one of his patients who had arrhythmia and high blood pressure which was successfully reversed through adopting an exercise programme. He points out that if a pill or procedure were to produce such structural cardiac changes it would be headline news.

His argument is that just as patients need to be adherent to pill regimens, they should all be prescribed and adhere to a regular exercise programme as well.

Read it here. (Requires registration)