Trajectories of Exercise and Mortality in Late Life

Greater physical activity correlates well with lower mortality in later life. Given the way that human data is collected, and the way in which epidemiological studies are carried out, it is hard to determine causation, however. Is it that exercise is protective, or is it that more robust people both live longer and exercise more often? Fortunately the equivalent animal studies on exercise are unambiguous, and show that exercise does in fact act to improve long-term health and reduce premature mortality. Here, researchers expand on the existing evidence by focusing on trends in physical exercise in later life, and how those trends correlate with mortality. They find the expected outcome, in that a reduction in exercise over time is worse than the alternatives. Lifelong physical activity (PA) promotes a wide range of health benefits and has long been recognized as an important protective factor for chronic diseases. These beneficial effects consistently translate into lower mortality rates in both men and women. The salutary effects of PA might extend to late life, as it is known to delay the onset of disability and to increase lifespan. Furthermore, PA might be negatively associated with other adverse outcomes such as hospitalization, thereby reducing health care expenditure. Remarkably, at advanced ages, PA levels might surpass other cardiovascular or sociodemographic risk factors that are classically associated with adverse outcomes in younger cohorts. A comm...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs