- Physical activity can slow the aging process and is associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality in older adults.
- Conversely, chronic diseases and age-related changes in exercise capacity can hinder older people’s ability to achieve recommended levels of physical activity.
- A new study involving people aged 85 and older shows that walking at least 1 hour per week could reduce the risk of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality.
- The results are consistent with current physical activity guidelines that recommend that older people who are unable to engage in moderate-intensity physical activity should engage in physical activity as their abilities allow.
Physical activity can promote healthy aging, but chronic diseases and age-related decline in exercise capacity often prevent older adults from participating in moderate or vigorous physical activity as recommended by health guidelines.
A new study shows that people aged 85 and older who walked for at least 1 hour a week had a lower risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease than their peers who were not physically active.
Study co-author, Dr Moo-Nyun Jin of Inje University, South Korea, said in a Press release:
“Identifying the minimum amount of exercise that can benefit seniors is an important goal, as recommended activity levels can be difficult to achieve. Our study indicates that walking even one hour per week is advantageous for those [ages] Age 85 or older compared to being completely inactive. The take-home message is to keep walking for life.”
The research will be presented at Congress of the European Society of Cardiology 2022 at the end of August.
Aging is associated with an increased risk of chronic diseases and a decline in physical and cognitive abilities.
The number of people aged 65 and over worldwide was around 1 billion in 2019, which is expected to more than double by 2050. This increase in population aging reflects an increase in life expectancy, but raises concerns about healthy aging.
Physical activity can reduce the risk of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, and can slow the impact of aging on physical and cognitive decline. In addition, physical activity can help preserve flexibility and balance in older people and enable them to function independently.
According to these effects, a recent observational study including older adults shows that physical activity levels are negatively correlated with the risk of all-cause mortality.
However, chronic diseases and age-related declines in muscle strength can, in turn, limit older adults’ ability to be physically active. Furthermore, sedentary behavior also increases with age.
2016 investigation suggests that the majority of adults older than 65 years in the United States do not meet the recommendations for physical activity.
current physical activity guidelines For all adults in the US, recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as brisk walking, or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, such as running, per week.
The guidelines also recommend 2 days of muscle-strengthening exercises, such as weight lifting or bodyweight exercises.
Recommendations for older adults emphasize incorporating a mixed regimen involving aerobic exercise, resistance training, and balance training to prevent falls.
The Physical Activity Guidelines also recommend that older adults who are unable to engage in moderate-intensity physical activity should engage in physical activity within their capabilities after consulting a health professional.
The authors of the current study examined whether walking could reduce the risk of all-cause mortality and mortality from cardiovascular disease in people aged 85 years and older.
The study included data from 7,047 people aged 85 and older who resided in South Korea. The researchers used a questionnaire to assess the amount of time per week that participants spent walking slowly, engaging in moderate-intensity or vigorous-intensity physical activity.
The researchers found that about 42% of people aged 85 and older walked regularly, while about 26% engaged in moderate or vigorous physical activity.
Furthermore, about a third of all people who walked regularly also engaged in moderate or vigorous physical activity. Notably, less than 8% of older adults achieved recommended levels of moderate-vigorous intensity physical activity.
The study findings show that people who walked for at least 1 hour a week had a lower risk of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality than inactive people.
The lowest risk of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality was seen in older adults who walked for at least 1 hour, regardless of whether or not they engaged in moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity in addition to walking.
“When it comes to healthy aging, exercise is the closest thing we have to a miracle drug, and this study reinforces the idea that even with modest physical activity, older adults can reap real benefits.” Dr Scott Kaisergeriatrician and director of Geriatric Cognitive Health at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA, said Today’s medical news.
Dr. Ulrik Wisløffprofessor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, agreed, explaining to MNT:
“This study demonstrates that the current cutoff values given to define moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity in adults are not fit for real-life purposes (the cutoffs were set primarily for 40-year-olds). In my experience, most adults over the age of 85 who walk frequently reach a relative intensity that exceeds 85% of their VO2 max. That’s high-intensity but relative to the individual’s cardiorespiratory fitness level, which is the key to prescribing the right exercise intensity to improve fitness.”
“The study adds to the evidence that the use of absolute thresholds for physical activity advice is far from optimal and that physical activity recommendations should focus much more on the relative intensity of activity performed.”
– Dr. Ulrik Wisløff, Professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Dr. Wisløff noted that measuring heart rate changes in response to physical activity is a more reliable indicator of physical activity levels than measuring exercise frequency or duration.
Dr. Maria Fiatarone Singhgeriatrician at the University of Sydney, noted that the study findings are only correlational.
Dr Singh said Today’s medical news: “This is an observational study and not an experimental study, which means that causality cannot be presumed. In other words, it is possible that the diseases that resulted in mortality prevented people from walking and not the other way around. The only experimental study with mortality as an outcome is the Studio Generation 100 from Norway.”
Dr. Singh also noted that walking may not be suitable for older adults with disabilities or chronic conditions.
“Although walking seems easy and safe, people who are frail, sarcopenic, osteoporotic or [prone to falls] they are encouraged to do resistance and balance training instead of walking, and add walking later when they can do so safely.”
– Dr. Maria Fiatarone Singh, geriatrician at the University of Sydney
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