Lesser Physical Function in Old Age Correlates with a Greater Cardiovascular Disease Risk

Better fitness in later life reduces mortality, and the study results here are just one of many examples that demonstrate this correlation, though specifically for cardiovascular disease in this case. While only correlations can be determined from most human data, animal studies make it quite clear that better fitness causes a reduced later life mortality. Maintaining better physical fitness is a good idea for many reasons, and it seems clear that health and longevity will benefit from doing so. The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study, an ongoing community-based cohort enrolled 15,792 participants, ages 45-64 years from 1987-1989, to investigate the causes for atherosclerotic disease (plaque or fatty buildup in the arteries). Yearly and semi-yearly (beginning in 2012) check-ins included phone calls and in-person clinic exams. The present study evaluated health data from ARIC visit 5 (2011-2013; all participants were older than age 65) as a baseline, when the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) test was first collected. The SPPB measured physical function to produce a score according to walking speed, speed of rising from a chair without using your hands, and standing balance. Researchers analyzed health data for 5,570 adults, average age of 75 from 2011 to 2019. Using SPPB scores, the physical function of the participants was categorized into three groups: low, intermediate, and high, based on their test performance. Researchers examined the...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs