[Sports as therapy].

The risk of athletic physical activity is low if high risk patients are excluded. These patients have to undergo operation or intensive drug treatment before active rehabilitation. The benefit of physical rehabilitation is mainly an increase in the quality and enjoyment of life. A decrease in cardiac morbidity and mortality is less clearly documented. A secondary prophylactic effect of rehabilitation is proven by studies in healthy populations, but the increase in life-span is small. Therefore a lifetime prescription of physical activity should be considered in each individual, but seems to be justifiable only in those patients who enjoy physical activity.