Stig Östlund

onsdag, augusti 29, 2012

Study: Fitter People Less Sick as They Age

News Review From Harvard Medical School -- Study: Fitter People Less Sick as They Age
People who are fit at midlife not only live longer, but live better, with less illness, a new study suggests. The research included more than 18,600 men and women. They were all part of another long-term health study. When the study began, their median age was 49. Fitness levels were measured using a type of treadmill test. Researchers kept track of people for about 26 years. Once people reached age 65, researchers tracked their health with Medicare claims information. People who were most fit at midlife not only lived longer, but spent less time being sick. The fittest group had slightly over half the rate of chronic (long-lasting) diseases as people who were least fit. Diseases included coronary artery disease, Alzheimer's, heart failure, diabetes and others. About 2,400 people died during the study. In their last 5 years of life, the people who had been most fit at midlife spent about 50% le ss time with 4 or more chronic diseases than the least fit group. They spent 34% more time with no more than 1 chronic disease. The journal Archives of Internal Medicine published the study. HealthDay News wrote about it August 27.

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