Connect with us

Fitness

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: New rules say you can exercise

Published

on

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: New rules say you can exercise

About 1 in 500 people have hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).

It’s a condition where the heart muscle becomes abnormally thick.

HCM is one of the most common causes of sudden death among young athletes and otherwise healthy adults.

In the past, athletes and other patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy were told to sit on the sidelines.

Advertisement

But it may be time to get back into the game.

The American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology recently released new guidelines on this condition.

The guideline’s writing committee chair and Mayo Clinic Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Clinic medical director Dr Steve Ommen says that with exercise and proper medication management, patients can return to their normal daily routines.

“Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy should not be an automatic disqualification from pursuing sports,” he says.

Patients with HCM might benefit from being active, he notes.

Advertisement

“Our current recommendations are that patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy participate in low to moderate intensity exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle, and that it’s reasonable for them to do more vigorous activities as well,” he says.

A new class of medications is on the roster, giving patients more options to manage their disease.

“Usually, there’s some simple medications the patient may try first, and then, if that’s not effective, they will have an option of this medication; an older medication called disopyramide; an operation called surgical myectomy; or a catheter-based solution, alcohol septal ablation,” Dr. Ommen explains.

It’s a good idea to check with your healthcare team before making changes to medications or daily routines.

HCM symptoms include:

Advertisement
  • Chest pain, especially while exercising.
  • Fainting during or after physical activity.
  • Shortness of breath during exercise.
  • Heart palpitations or rapid heartbeats. – Sonya Goins/Mayo Clinic News Network/Tribune News Service
Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Fitness

​This surprising exercise can beat insomnia and promote sleep | – The Times of India

Published

on

​This surprising exercise can beat insomnia and promote sleep | – The Times of India

Many of us struggle with sleep-related disorders nowadays. Insomnia is at the top of the list. It is a sleep disorder in which one may experience trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up too early. A specific exercise may help to tackle this, suggests a pooled data analysis of the available research.
Published in the open-access journal Family Medicine and Community Health, the study reveals that resistance or muscle-strengthening exercises (using weights or body weight) may be the most effective for tackling insomnia in older adults.

insomnia

The analysis also suggests that aerobic exercise or a mix of strength, aerobic, balance, and flexibility exercises is also effective. With age, sleep quality tends to decline. About 1 in five older adults has insomnia, according to the researchers. Sleep is a vital function. Especially as one ages, sleep disruptions may tend to worsen health. Sleep is linked with many serious health problems, and it can also lead to cognitive impairment. Insomnia can also increase the likelihood of workplace underperformance and absenteeism, the researchers said.
Previous research has suggested that exercise helps to alleviate the symptoms of insomnia, however, it was not clear which type of exercise might be most helpful.
To explore this, the researchers reviewed clinical trials published until October 2022. These studies compared physical exercise with routine activities, usual care, non-physical activities, or health education in people diagnosed with insomnia, using the Global Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (GPSQI).

insomnia

These studies analysed various types of exercises including aerobic, such as cycling, dancing, swimming, brisk walking, and gardening; resistance, such as using weights, push-ups, and planks; balance, such as step-ups, heel-to-toe walking; flexibility, such as gymnastics, yoga, and Pilates; and combination exercise encompassing a mix.

They also analysed data from 24 studies, involving 2045 adults aged at least 60 (average 70). Most were carried out in Asia (56%), North America (16%), South America (16%), and Europe (12%). One in five were carried out in nursing homes. More than half of the exercises were mild to moderate in intensity. Each session lasted about 50 minutes, done 2 to 3 times a week, with programs running for an average of 14 weeks. They found that combined exercise significantly improved the GPSQI by 2.35 points while aerobic activity improved it by 4.35 points.

insomnia

Also, strength or resistance exercise was the most effective, improving the GPSQI by 5.75 points. Aerobic exercise improved the GPQSI by 3.76 points, while combination exercise improved it by 2.54.

Surprisingly easy ways to protect your brain and prevent stroke

“Exercise, particularly strengthening exercise and aerobic exercise, is beneficial for enhancing subjective sleep quality at a clinically significant level compared with normal activities,” the researchers concluded.
(Pic courtesy: iStock)

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Fitness

Workout Wednesday: Exercises to help your pickleball game

Published

on

Workout Wednesday: Exercises to help your pickleball game

Wednesday, March 5, 2025 2:32PM

Workout Wednesday: Exercises to help your pickleball game

A sport like pickleball can take a lot out of you.

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — A sport like pickleball can take a lot out of you.

In this week’s “Workout Wednesday,” fitness trainer Rhonda Murphy shares a few exercises to help you on the court.

Copyright © 2025 KFSN-TV. All Rights Reserved.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Fitness

This simple exercise will help reduce your risk of falls as you get older, according to an exercise scientist

Published

on

This simple exercise will help reduce your risk of falls as you get older, according to an exercise scientist

As you get older, it’s normal to feel less steady on your feet. Your strength and mobility naturally decline, as does your balance, which can increase your risk of falls.

In fact, according to the CDC, there are about 3 million emergency department visits a year due to older people experiencing falls.

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending