Frequency and Variety of Exercise Associated with Mortality Risk in the Elderly

For elderly individuals, frequent exercise may reduce the risk of cardiovascular mortality, and a variety of activities may reduce all-cause mortality, according to a new cohort study.

The researchers conducted the Northern Manhattan Study (NOMAS) in New York to examine the multidimensionality of leisure-time physical activity and understand the components of physical activity that are associated with cardiovascular mortality in the elderly.
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They studied a cohort of 3293 elderly stroke-free individuals who were recruited between 1993 and 2001.

Based on their answers to a questionnaire, the participants were categorized based on their exercise patterns. Primary exposures included frequency of activity, number of activity types (variety), and energy-to-duration ratio (EDR).

After a median 17-year follow-up, high activity frequency was associated with reduced cardiovascular mortality, but it did not affect non-cardiovascular death.

In addition, a high EDR was associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular death, and a large variety of activity types reduced all-cause mortality.

“Exercise frequency was protective against cardiovascular mortality, and a high variety of activity was protective against all-cause mortality,” the research team concluded. “The performance of frequent and varied non-intense exercise in an elderly population such as ours is achievable and can reduce the risk of death.”

—Amanda Balbi

Reference:

Cheung YK, Moon YP, Kulick ER, Sacco RL, Elkind MSV, Willey JZ. Leisure-time physical activity and cardiovascular mortality in an elderly population in northern Manhattan: a prospective cohort study [published online October 17, 2016]. J Gen Intern Med. doi:10.1007/s11606-016-3884-y.