Any amount of running linked to significantly lower risk of early death

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Substantial improvements in population health/longevity

likely if more people took it up, say researchers

November 4, 2019

British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Any amount of running is linked to a significantly lower risk

of death from any cause, finds a pooled analysis

of the available evidence, published online in the

British Journal of Sports Medicine.

If more people took up running -- and they wouldn't have to run far or

fast -- there would likely be substantial improvements in population health and

longevity, conclude the researchers.

It's not clear how good running is for staving off the risk of death from

any cause and particularly from cardiovascular disease and cancer,

say the researchers.

Nor is it clear how much running a person needs to do to reap

these potential benefits, nor whether upping the frequency,

duration, and pace -- in other words, increasing the 'dose' --

might be even more advantageous.

To try and find out, the researchers systematically reviewed relevant

published research, conference presentations, and doctoral theses

and dissertations in a broad range of academic databases.

They looked for studies on the association between running/jogging

and the risk of death from all causes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.

They found 14 suitable studies, involving 232,149 people,

whose health had been tracked for between 5.5 and 35 years.

During this time, 25,951 of the study participants died.

When the study data were pooled, any amount of running was

associated with a 27% lower risk of death from all causes

for both sexes, compared with no running.

And it was associated with a 30% lower risk of death

from cardiovascular disease, and a 23% lower risk of death from cancer.

Even small 'doses' -- for example, once weekly or less, lasting

less than 50 minutes each time, and at a speed below

6 miles (8 km) an hour, still seemed to be associated

with significant health/longevity benefits.

So running for 25 minutes less than the recommended weekly

duration of vigorous physical activity could reduce the risk of death.

This makes running a potentially good option for those whose main

obstacle to doing enough exercise is lack of time, suggest the researchers.

But upping 'the dose' wasn't associated with a further lowering

of the risk of death from any cause, the analysis showed.

Nevertheless, they suggest that any amount of running is

better than none, concluding: "Increased rates of participation in

running, regardless of its dose, would probably lead to

substantial improvements in population health and longevity."

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Story Source:

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Your doggie may just extend your life

"Man's best friend" now has even more meaning.

                      

Get the full story on stress and the brain!  Click here.

        Date:

October 8, 2019

Source:

American Heart Association

Summary:

Dog ownership was associated with a 33% lower risk of early death for heart attack survivors living alone and 27% reduced risk of early death for stroke survivors living alone, compared to people who did not own a dog. Dog ownership was associated with a 24% reduced risk of all-cause mortality and a 31% lower risk of death by heart attack or stroke compared to non-owners.

Dog ownership may be associated with longer life and better cardiovascular outcomes, especially for heart attack and stroke survivors who live alone, according to a new study and a separate meta-analysis published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, a journal of the American Heart Association.

"The findings in these two well-done studies and analyses build upon prior studies and the conclusions of the 2013 AHA Scientific Statement 'Pet Ownership and Cardiovascular Risk' that dog ownership is associated with reductions in factors that contribute to cardiac risk and to cardiovascular events," said Glenn N. Levine, M.D., chair of the writing group of the American Heart Association's scientific statement on pet ownership. "Further, these two studies provide good, quality data indicating dog ownership is associated with reduced cardiac and all-cause mortality. While these non-randomized studies cannot 'prove' that adopting or owning a dog directly leads to reduced mortality, these robust findings are certainly at least suggestive of this."

Full story: Here.