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Physical Inactivity and the Economic and Health Burdens Due to Cardiovascular Disease: Exercise as Medicine

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Exercise for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Treatment

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 999))

Abstract

Leisure time physical activity, or exercise, has been described as today’s best buy in public health. Physical inactivity is responsible for around 10% of all deaths and physical inactivity costs global healthcare systems billions of dollars each year. Here, we describe the human and economic costs of cardiovascular disease. Then, we explain that physical inactivity is a major modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The evidence of the role of physical activity in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease is reviewed and we make the case that exercise is medicine.

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Acknowledgement

Hamer acknowledges support from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Leicester Biomedical Research Centre, which is a partnership between University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Loughborough University and the University of Leicester.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, National Centre for Sport & Exercise Medicine, Loughborough University, East Midlands, Loughborough, LE11 3TU, UK

    Mark Hamer & Gary O’Donovan

  2. Centre for Physical Activity and Health Research, University of Ulster, Ulster, UK

    Marie Murphy

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  1. Mark Hamer
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  2. Gary O’Donovan
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  3. Marie Murphy
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Correspondence to Mark Hamer .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Cardiac Regeneration and Ageing Lab, School of Life Science, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China

    Junjie Xiao

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Hamer, M., O’Donovan, G., Murphy, M. (2017). Physical Inactivity and the Economic and Health Burdens Due to Cardiovascular Disease: Exercise as Medicine. In: Xiao, J. (eds) Exercise for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Treatment. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 999. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-4307-9_1

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