A cup of tea and popping a pill beats real exercise, public say

PEOPLE are more likely to take a pill or drink tea than exercise to stay healthy – and one in 14 would not work out, even if it meant them having an extra five years of life.

A monthly jab is the only thing less appealing than physical activity when it comes to tackling high blood pressure, a Yale University study found.

Hypertension – referred to by doctors as the “silent killer” – affects more than one in four adults in the UK.

It causes around half of all heart attacks and strokes and can be prevented by taking regular exercise.

In the first survey of its kind, heart specialists in America asked 1,300 people about their willingness to adopt any of four “treatments” to gain an extra month, year or five years of life.

Pills came out on top, ahead of a daily cup of tea, exercise and monthly or twice yearly injections.

Unsurprisingly, the participants preferred the options where the benefits were greater. But some said they would not adopt any, even if it meant living for another five years.

The study, presented at an American Heart Association meeting in Virginia, found that almost eight in ten (79 per cent) were willing to take a pill for an extra month of life, rising to 90 and 96 per cent for another year and five years.

The results were almost as high for tea but when it came to exercise, rates dropped to 63, 84 and 96 per cent. A monthly jab was the least preferred option, with 51 per cent of respondents saying they’d take it up, followed by 74 then 88 per cent respectively.

The study’s lead author Erica Spatz, assistant professor of cardiovascular medicine at Yale University, said: “People assign different weights to the pluses and minuses of interventions to improve cardiovascular health.

“I believe we need to tap into this when talking with patients about options to manage their blood pressure.

“We are good at discussing side effects, but rarely do we find out if other inconveniences or burdens may impact a person’s willingness to take a lifelong medication or do exercise.”