How Fit You Are May Help You Live Longer than How Fat You Are
December 6th, 2007 Posted by: Dr. Cox
(Ivanhoe Newswire) â Your level of fitness may help you live longer than the amount of body fat you have.
A new report from the University of South Carolina, Columbia, looked at the associations between cardio respiratory fitness, body fat, and death in older women and men. 2,603 adults age 60 and older took part in the study. Researchers determined fitness levels using a treadmill exercise test, and body fat using body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and percent body fat. 450 participants died during an average follow-up of 12 years.
Results show those who died were older, had lower fitness levels, and had more cardiovascular risk factors than those who did not die. But there were no big differences in body fat. For the most part, participants in the higher fitness groups were less likely to have risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as hypertension, diabetes, or high cholesterol. And in most cases, death rates for those with higher fitness were less than half of rates for those who were unfit.
âOur data provide further evidence regarding the complex long-term relationship among fitness, body size, and survival,â write the authors. âIt may be possible to reduce all-cause death rates among older adults, including those who are obese, by promoting regular physical activity, such as brisk walking for 30 minutes or more on most days of the week (about 8 kcal/kg per week), which will keep most individuals out of the low-fitness category. Enhancing functional capacity also should allow older adults to achieve a Men’s healthy lifestyle and to enjoy longer life in better Men’s health.â
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, which offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, click on: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
SOURCE: JAMA, 2007;298:2507-2516