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For stroke, pre-diabetes and coronary heart disease, physical activity seems to be as good as popping a pill
The evidence "suggests that exercise and many drug interventions are often potentially similar" in terms of reducing mortality during rehabilitation after stroke, prevention of diabetes and secondary prevention of coronary heart disease, according to the study, published in October in the British journal BMJ. (Secondary prevention refers to early detection of a disease and treatments that prevent it from getting worse.)

Only in one specific instance—heart failure—was one type of prescription drugs clearly more beneficial than exercise, the study found. Fewer deaths occurred in patients who took diuretics rather than exercising or taking other medications. MedicalXpress