Comparative Effectiveness of Exercise vs. Drug Interventions for Patients with Chronic Conditions

Exercise is recommended for patients with chronic conditions, such as heart disease. However, the relative effectiveness of exercise versus drug interventions for chronic conditions is unknown. Investigators used randomized trial data (305 trials: 57 on exercise, 248 on drugs; 339,000 patients) to compare mortality outcomes of drugs and exercise in patients with chronic conditions (i.e., heart disease, prediabetes, stroke, or heart failure); the comparisons were indirect, because none of the trials were head-to-head evaluations of drugs versus exercise.

Results of the meta-analysis are as follows:

• Heart disease: Exercise and drugs (statins, β-blockers, angiotensin-converting–enzyme [ACE] inhibitors, and antiplatelet drugs) both lowered odds f…