I just read a rather nice article regarding omega-3 fatty acid (O3FA), which states that it is now being endorsed for use by the American Heart Association (AHA) as an aid in the secondary prevention of cardiovascular events in people with documented coronary artery disease (CAD). As many people know by now, O3FA is being marketed today as a nutritional supplement – fish oil, to be exact. Now what I found impressive with this recommendation is that as far as I can remember, this would appear to be the first time that I know of the AHA recommending a nutritional supplement for CAD prevention. Of course then again, this could be due to the growing body of evidence that supports the cardiovascular benefits and triglyceride-lowering effects of O3FA. In fact, I can even remember an article I’ve read that attributed a 19% to 45% reduction in cardiovascular events from test subjects due to the intake of the said supplement. Not bad at all, right?

The recent recommendation was quite thorough as it also stipulated the useful dosage for the supplement. Technically, O3FA supplements should consist of, more or less, equal amounts of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). But in actuality there are different dosage preparations from different manufacturers. So since there are differing patient profiles, intake of the supplement are to be adjusted accordingly to satisfy the dosage requirements, as the supplement, the article said, could anyway can be taken at any time, in full or divided doses and without raising concerns for interactions with any medications.

With this recommendation, some form of combination therapy of fish oil supplement and a statin could be on its way to CAD sufferers that could be safely instituted as an effective way to improve their lipid levels and cardiovascular prognosis far beyond when they just used statin therapy alone. This is quite good news for them as fish oil supplements are relatively cheaper than the usual statins. My take on the article: this is an excellent and viable addition to the usual medical regimen of CAD patients and it warrants a recommendation for them to seek advice from their doctors about this supplement to see whether its intake and/or its combination with statins could be beneficial to them; and, as well, to know its financial impact to them if they are to use it.

There have been many misconceptions and misinterpretations regarding exercise and its benefit to our health. Some of those include the belief that only lively activity (read: hard core workouts) can help in improving health, or that easy activities, such as performing house chores or doing arts and crafts, are sufficient to maintain health. These are definitely wrong.

It is because of these misconceptions that the recommendations regarding exercise were revised. According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American Heart Association (AHA), adults (i.e. medically defined as those within the age range of 18 – 65 years) need moderate intensity aerobic physical activity for at least 30 minutes on five days of each week (e.g. brisk walking), or vigorous intensity aerobic activity (e.g. gym work out) for at least 20 minutes on three days each week. A mixed combination of these exercises is deemed acceptable, with people permitted to meet the recommendations like by walking briskly or carrying out an activity that evidently accelerates the heart rate for 30 minutes twice during the week and then jogging for 20 minutes, or completing any activity that causes increase in respiratory activity and a substantial increase in heart rate on two other days. For people aged 65 years and above, the recommendation stipulates the same, albeit it should take into account their aerobic fitness and promote activities that can help increase flexibility and balance.

But the question of debate is why do we need to do all of those in the first place? The answer is quite simple. It is definitely is good for us. Some proven benefits include:

• It can help in lowering the risk of heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure

• As well, it had positive correlation in lowering the risk of developing gallstones, and colon cancer

• It can help in keeping the body trim, helping fat utilization in the body and preserve muscle density

• It can reverse natural muscle loss that occurs with aging.

• It can help improve bone density and reduce the risk of falls and fractures especially in the elderly

• It can reduce discomforts due to the arthritidies

• It was shown to decrease the frequency of migraine headaches in migraine sufferers

• It can help improve sleep cycles and its general quality

• It can raise self esteem and improve general mood and relaxation

Thus, with the myriad of benefits exercise can afford us, the question is then turned to the its timing. Unfortunately, this is the question that only each individual can answer. Questions like, when to do it, or how much change in lifestyle does one need to undergo to achieve the recommendations. Yes, these questions are quite valid. But the answer lies in how much one needs to accomplish the recommendation that one would be willing to change. Now, that is already out of bounds of this article.