Older Runners Less Likely to Become Disabled, Appear
to Survive Longer
Disability and survival curves continued to diverge
after the 21-year follow-up as participants approached their ninth
decade of life
Aug.
11, 2008 - Running throughout middle and older ages appears to be
associated with reduced disability in later life as well as a longer
life, according to a report in the August 11/25 issue of Archives of
Internal Medicine.
Age-adjusted death rates have reached record lows
and life expectancy has reached record highs in recent years, likely due
to a combination of behavior and societal changes as well as improved
medical and surgical therapies, the authors write as background
information in the article.
With the rise in life expectancy, it becomes
necessary to focus on improving the quality of life and functional
abilities as people reach older ages. Regular exercise, including
running, may contribute to improved health among older adults.
Eliza F. Chakravarty, M.D., M.S., and colleagues at
Stanford University School of Medicine, Calif., surveyed 284 members of
a nationwide running club and 156 healthy controls who were recruited
from university faculty and staff. All participants were age 50 or older
when the study began in 1984.
They completed a mailed questionnaire annually
through 2005, providing information on exercise frequency, body mass
index and disability level.
At the beginning of the study, runners were
younger, leaner and less likely to smoke than controls.
After 19 years, 81 runners (15 percent) had died
compared with 144 controls (34 percent).
Regular exercise
reduces disability and death risk by
● increasing cardiovascular fitness,
● improving aerobic capacity,
● increased bone mass,
● lower levels of inflammatory markers,
● improved response to vaccinations and
● improved thinking, learning and memory functions.
Disability levels were lower in runners at all time
points and increased in both groups over time, but less so in runners.
At the end of the 21-year follow-up, in terms of
disability, the higher levels among controls translate into important
differences in overall daily functional limitations, the authors write.
Disability and survival curves continued to diverge between groups
after the 21-year follow-up as participants approached their ninth
decade of life.
Regular exercise could reduce disability and death
risk by increasing cardiovascular fitness, improving aerobic capacity,
increased bone mass, lower levels of inflammatory markers, improved
response to vaccinations and improved thinking, learning and memory
functions, the authors note.
Our findings of decreased disability in addition
to prolonged survival among middle-aged and older adults participating
in routine physical activities further support recommendations to
encourage moderate to vigorous physical activity at all ages, they
conclude.
Increasing healthy lifestyle behaviors may not
only improve length and quality of life but also hopefully lead to
reduced health care expenditures associated with disability and chronic
diseases.
Editor's Notes: This study was supported by grants
from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin
Diseases and the National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of
Health, Bethesda, Md.
The Archives of Internal Medicine is one of the
JAMA/Archives journals.
Keep up with the latest news for senior citizens, baby
boomers
Aug.
11, 2008 - Running throughout middle and older ages appears to be
associated with reduced disability in later life as well as a longer
life, according to a report in the August 11/25 issue of Archives of
Internal Medicine.