Running reduces risk of death regardless
of duration, speed
Running
for only a few minutes a day or at slow speeds may significantly reduce a
person's risk of death from cardiovascular disease compared to someone who does
not run, according to a study published today in the Journal of the
American College of Cardiology.
Exercise
is well-established as way to prevent heart disease and it is component of an
overall healthy life, but it is unclear whether there are health benefits below
the level of 75 minutes per week of vigorous-intensity activity, such as
running, recommended by the U.S. government and World Health Organization.
In the study
period, 3,413 participants died, including 1,217 whose deaths were related to
cardiovascular disease. In this population, 24 percent of the participants
reported running as part of their leisure-time exercise.
Compared
with non-runners, the runners had a 30 percent lower risk of death from all causes
and a 45 percent lower risk of death from heart disease or stroke. Runners on
average lived three years longer compared to non-runners. Also, to reduce
mortality risk at a population level from a public health perspective, the
authors concluded that promoting running is as important as preventing smoking,
obesity or hypertension. The benefits were the same no matter how long, far,
frequently or fast participants reported running. Benefits were also the same
regardless of sex, age, body mass index, health conditions, smoking status or
alcohol use.
The
study showed that participants who ran less than 51 minutes, fewer than 6
miles, slower than 6 miles per hour, or only one to two times per week had a
lower risk of dying compared to those who did not run.
DC (Duck-chul) Lee,
Ph.D., lead author of the study and an assistant professor in the Iowa State
University Kinesiology Department in Ames, Iowa, said they found that runners
who ran less than an hour per week have the same mortality benefits compared to
runners who ran more than three hours per week. Thus, it is possible that the
more may not be the better in relation to running and longevity.
Researchers
also looked at running behavior patterns and found that those who persistently
ran over a period of six years on average had the most significant benefits,
with a 29 percent lower risk of death for any reason and 50 percent lower risk
of death from heart disease or stroke.
"Since
time is one of the strongest barriers to participate in physical activity, the
study may motivate more people to start running and continue to run as an
attainable health goal for mortality benefits," Lee said.
"Running
may be a better exercise option than more moderate intensity exercises for
healthy but sedentary people since it produces similar, if not greater,
mortality benefits in five to 10 minutes compared to the 15 to 20 minutes per
day of moderate intensity activity that many find too time consuming."
Story Source:
The
above story is based on materials provided by American College of Cardiology.Note: Materials may be edited for content
and length.
Journal Reference:
1.
Duck-chul Lee, Russell
R. Pate, Carl J. Lavie, Xuemei Sui, Timothy S. Church, Steven N. Blair. Leisure-Time
Running Reduces All-Cause and Cardiovascular Mortality Risk. Journal
of the American College of Cardiology, 2014; 64 (5): 472 DOI: 10.1016/j.jacc.2014.04.058
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American College of Cardiology. "Running reduces risk of
death regardless of duration, speed." Science Daily, 28 July 2014.
<www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/07/140728162330.htm>.