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Poor fitness levels are a better predictor of mortality than weight or blood pressure and should be a higher priority for GPs according to a report on Sports and Exercise Medicine published in the respected UK medical journal The Lancet.

The report Sport and exercise as contributors to the health of nations, co-authored by University of Sydney Professor Adrian Bauman, calls for exercise to be regarded as a 'fifth vital sign', alongside temperature, blood pressure, pulse and respiratory rate.

The report, the first in a series to be published by The Lancet, highlights that with London hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games this year, much attention has been brought to the contribution of sporting events to the enhancement of sport performance of athletes, the potential improvement of public health, and the tackling of issues of discrimination.

Welcoming the report Australia Heart Foundation Clinical Issues Director Robert Grenfell suggestes "like all muscles in the body, the heart needs to be exercised to stay healthy and nearly 60% of Australians are putting their heart at risk by not being active enough.

"We'd like to see GPs being more proactive about not only assessing their patients' fitness levels, but also offering practical advice on how to be more active.

"The simple act of walking for 30 minutes a day, for example, can reduce your heart disease risk by 50% which is why we started the Heart Foundation Walking program as a free, easy and social way to be active."

Dr Grenfell highlights that nearly two thirds of Australian adults have three or more risk factors for heart disease that could be improved through lifestyle changes. Heart disease is the number one killer of Australian men and women.

He adds "to accurately predict someone's heart disease risk, it's important to look at all their risk factors in combination.

"So in addition to assessing fitness levels, doctors should also consider blood pressure, cholesterol, weight, smoking status and family history to gain a complete picture."

In a feature 'Fitness vs Fatness' in theJanaury/February 2012 issue, Australasian Leisure Management Editor Karen Sweaney summarised a range of studies showing that it is more important to monitor fitness than obsess over weight as a measure of health.

For more information on the Sport and exercise as contributors to the health of nations study go to www.thelancet.com/series/sports-and-exercise-medicine 

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