HHS Guidelines on Physical Activity
The HHS guidelines on physical activity will be presented at 9 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 12. The 2018 version will be the first update since the original guidelines were made available in 2008.
“It has been 10 years since the last set of guidelines, and I think we are all looking forward to what these new recommendations will offer,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones said. He believes that the science has progressed significantly over the past decade.
“In addition to our longstanding understanding that doing something is better than doing nothing and doing more is better than doing something, I think we have seen some really interesting data in the last 10 years on intensity and duration of exercise and how those can be considered when trying to improve health-related outcomes,” said Dr. Lloyd-Jones.
The specifics of these guidelines will not be known until they are presented on Monday, but there is abundant evidence that a healthy lifestyle is the first defense against illness in general and against cardiovascular disease in particular. Dr. Lloyd-Jones indicated that authoritative and evidence-based guidelines could prove to a useful tool for empowering patients to make changes that reduce an array of health risks not just those related to vascular disease.