Amount of physical activity related to mortality and life expectancy

January 01, 0001

Amount of physical activity related to mortality and life expectancy

The health benefits of leisure-time physical activity are well known, but whether less exercise than the recommended 150 min a week can have life expectancy benefits is unclear. The researchers from Chinese Taipei and the USA assessed the health benefits of a range of volumes of physical activity in a Taiwanese population. It consisted of a prospective cohort study. 416,175 individuals (199,265 men and 216,910 women) participated in a standard medical screening programme in Chinese Taipei between 1996 and 2008, with an average follow-up of 8·05 years. On the basis of the amount of weekly exercise indicated in a self-administered questionnaire, participants were placed into one of five categories of exercise volumes: inactive, or low, medium, high, or very high activity. The researchers calculated hazard ratios (HR) for mortality risks for every group compared with the inactive group, and calculated life expectancy for every group.

Compared with individuals in the inactive group, those in the low-volume activity group, who exercised for an average of 92 min per week or 15 min a day had a 14% reduced risk of all-cause mortality and had a 3 year longer life expectancy. Every additional 15 min of daily exercise beyond the minimum amount of 15 min a day further reduced all-cause mortality by 4% and all-cancer mortality by 1%. These benefits were applicable to all age groups and both sexes, and to those with cardiovascular disease risks. Individuals who were inactive had a 17% (HR 1.17) increased risk of mortality compared with individuals in the low-volume group.

The researchers concluded: "15 min a day or 90 min a week of moderate-intensity exercise might be of benefit, even for individuals at risk of cardiovascular disease."



For the full abstract, click here.

The Lancet 378(9798):1244-1253, 1 October 2011 © 2011 Elsevier Inc
Minimum amount of physical activity for reduced mortality and extended life expectancy: a prospective cohort study. Chi Pang Wen, Jackson Pui Man Wai, Min Kuang Tsai et al. Correspondence to Chi Pang Wen: cwengood@nhri.org.tw

Category: K. Circulatory. Keywords: minimum, physical activity, reduced mortality, life expectancy, prospective cohort study, journal watch.
Synopsis edited by Dr Stephen Wilkinson, Melbourne, Australia. Posted on Global Family Doctor 28 October 2011

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