Doing exercise can be more deadly than smoking, says study

(CBS NEWS)

How important is physical activity if you want to live longer and healthier? New research shows that not exercising or doing very little exercise is as serious as many of the other known risk factors associated with death, including hypertension, diabetes, cholesterol, heart disease and smoking – and in some cases, not exercising seems to be even worse.

This is a finding that surprises Dr. Wael Jaber, MD, a Cleveland Clinic cardiologist and lead author of the study, "because the focus has always been on reducing these risks to improve mortality. But we found that the biggest risk is right under our nose: being physically less fit, "he told CBS News.

For this study, researchers analyzed data from over 122,000 patients who underwent training carpet testing at the Cleveland Clinic from 1991 to 2014.

The results showed that not only was exercise associated with a reduced risk of death, but that greater exercise produced better benefits. In fact, the highest levels of aerobic fitness were associated with the greatest survival benefits, especially in patients 70 years of age and older.

"We thought that results would be beneficial for certain groups or subsets of patients," said Jaber. "What we have achieved is a widespread benefit for all age groups, both sexes, as well as for people with and without heart disease."

This discovery contradicts several other recent studies that have shown associations between extreme exercise and certain heart conditions, including atrial fibrillation and coronary artery disease.

However, the Cleveland Clinic study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Network Open Association, found that the extremely fit patients participating in the study lived the longest.

All subjects in the study had previously undergone resistance testing at the Cleveland Clinic and were divided into five performance groups: elite, high, above average, below average, and low. Elite artists have been defined as having an aerobic fitness in the top 2.5% by age and gender. They demonstrated fitness levels comparable to those of endurance athletes.

In the group of participants over the age of 70, the mortality risk was reduced by almost 30% compared to the highest performing participants.

Dr. Satjit Bhusri, a cardiologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, said the study was "awesome".

"Its size, results and future impact on preventable heart disease are huge," he told CBS News. "We are made and supposed to walk, run, exercise, move. In doing so, we regenerate new fresh cells, clean toxins and rebuild broken parts. "

Jaber said the study opens up many opportunities to treat a sedentary lifestyle as a disease. This can be achieved by "encouraging activities through health insurance incentives, urban and urban planning, as well as providing a prescription of specific exercises to our patients rather that by following the generic steps of 10 km a day, "he said. "It seems like the basic minimum is 10,000 steps, but more is almost always better."

The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise a week, or a combination of moderate and vigorous activity.

The authors of the study note that their research has analyzed the results on a large population and that each patient should always consult his physician before starting an exercise program.