Exercise for coronary artery disease: a cornerstone of comprehensive treatment.

Exercise is effective in both preventing and treating coronary artery disease (CAD). Exercise improves cardiovascular efficiency and, in combination with other measures such as medication use, diet changes, and smoking cessation, may arrest or reverse atherosclerosis. Exercise prescriptions will vary according to disease level or risk, but the basic principle (physiologic evaluation followed by moderate exercise as tolerated) is the same for treatment or prevention. Most patients should work toward at least 20 to 30 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise three or more times a week.