Midlife Fitness Lowers Occurrence of Chronic Diseases

A study conducted at the university of Texas South-western Medical Center in Dallas, states that being physically fit during 50s not only extends one's lifespan but also set themselves free from the clutches of chronic ailments.

Though previous studies have claimed that higher cardiorespiratoy fitness drops the risk of death but the studies failed to suggest as to how much of fitness might wipe away the affects o chronic disease.    

"We've determined that being fit is not just delaying the inevitable, but it is actually lowering the onset of chronic disease in the final years of life," said Dr. Jarett Berry, assistant professor of internal medicine and senior author of the study.

The study that is carried online in the Archives of Internal Medicine examined the patient's data 18,670 participants in the Cooper Center Longitudinal Study. They research included more than 20,000 medical reports that were maintained over a 40 year span.

During the study the researchers learnt that in the midlife years the patients increased their fitness levels by 20 percent have noticed a drop in their chances of developing chronic disease such as congestive heart failure, Alzheimer's disease, and colon cancer. 

"What sets this study apart is that it focuses on the relationship between midlife fitness and quality of life in later years. Fitter individuals aged well with fewer chronic illnesses to impact their quality of life," said Dr. Benjamin Willis of The Cooper Institute, first author on the study.

The researchers assure that the positive effect of being fit during the 50 continued till the end of life. Both men and women received the same effects.

Berry said, "These data suggest that aerobic activities such as walking, jogging, or running translates not only into more years of life but also into higher quality years, compressing the burden of chronic illness into a shorter amount of time at the end of life."

The National Heart Lung and Blood institute state that adults should get at least 2 ½ hours of moderate to intense aerobic activity each week to ensure major heart and overall health benefits.

CBS News quoted Dr. Diane Bild, associate director of the Prevention and Population Sciences Program at the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute saying, " The new research implies that fitness can help people live healthier years. She interpreted the results with caution, however, since 98 percent of the participants in the study were white. Genetics may play a bigger part in the results - meaning exercise may not lead to fitness in all cases.

"Because genetics likely plays a role in longevity and certainly plays a role in disease avoidance, if some of the same genes are involved in the longevity and fitness, they may serve as major confounders in the attractive interpretation that exercise leads to fitness, which leads to healthy aging,"