In Aging Men, Brisk Daily Walk Can Slash Deaths by Half

In that exercise capacity is inversely related to risk of death, a study has determined that sedentary elderly men are at a markedly increased risk of dying, as compared to those men who engaged in regular physical activity.  Peter Kokkinos, from Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (Washington DC, USA), and colleagues studied 3,041 male veterans, ages 70 to 92 years, following the subjects for all-cause mortality for more than 20 years.  Study participants completed a treadmill exercise test, after which each subject was categorized into one of four fitness categories based on peak metabolic equivalent (MET) achieved.  With 1,251 deaths from all causes reported during the 20-year study period, the researchers adjusted for age, body mass index, cardiovascular disease risk factors, and medications, and found that exercise capacity was a strong predictor of the risk of death.  For every 100 men who died in the very low fitness group, 74 died in the next group up, 54 in the moderately fit group and 46 in the high fit category. In other words, the team determined that for every two minutes of exercise completed, mortality rate dropped by 10%.  Dr. Kikkinos comments: "The overall message is that although ageing and death are inevitable, the rate for both can be modulated by simply maintaining a physically active lifestyle at any age.”