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 The study was large but was observational, meaning the researchers
asked participants about their running habits rather than randomly
assigning them to running and non-running groups. So they cannot
conclude that running, and not other differences between
participants, was responsible for the lower risks.
It’s difficult to use more rigorous randomized controlled trials to
look at outcomes like death, because that takes so long to track,
said lead author Duck-chul Lee, from the College of Human Sciences
at Iowa State University in Ames.
He said the current study is the largest on this topic, but it would
still be useful to conduct randomized trials to look at the effects
of running on blood pressure and cholesterol, for instance.
The researchers studied more than 55,000 generally healthy adults
between ages 18 and 100. Participants answered questions about their
physical activity habits over the past three months, including
running speed, duration and frequency. Some were not runners at all;
the rest were divided into five groups based on how much they ran
each week.
The researchers then tracked the participants using their medical
records for an average of 15 years.
About 3,400 people died during that time, including roughly 1,200
from cardiovascular causes, including heart disease and stroke.
At the start, runners were more often male, younger and leaner.
Compared to non-runners, people who ran at all were 30 percent less
likely to die during the study period and 45 percent less likely to
die from cardiovascular disease.
Runners had a reduced risk of death even if they ran for less than
51 minutes or less than six miles per week, and even if they ran at
a pace slower than six miles per hour, according to results
published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
“I think the findings are very encouraging since the study suggests
that you don’t necessarily have to aim for a marathon in order to
obtain the health benefits of physical activity,” said Dr. Kasper
Andersen of Uppsala University Hospital in Sweden.
Andersen was not involved in the new study.
“I guess you can interpret this as every time you go running you are
putting savings in your own health bank - an investment that gives
you a longer life,” he told Reuters Health by email.
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Running was linked to better health regardless of sex, age, smoking
status or weight, the researchers found. Runners had life
expectancies three years longer than non-runners, on average.
“The (World Health Organization) guidelines recommend at least 75
minutes per week of vigorous aerobic activity such as running,” Lee
told Reuters Health in an email. “However, we found mortality
benefits in runners who ran even as little as 30 to 60 minutes per
week.”
There haven’t been as many studies on the benefits of vigorous
activity as there have been for moderate activity, he said.
“As far as recommending that people go for short jogs everyday, I do
think this is something we could recommend, although with a couple
caveats,” said Andrea Chomistek, from the School of Public Health at
Indiana University Bloomington.
“For individuals who are currently inactive, they should probably
start with walking and ease into running,” she told Reuters Health
in an email. “For inactive individuals who are older or have medical
issues, they may want to check in with their physician before
starting a running program, although walking is just fine.”
Finding a running buddy can be good motivation, Chomistek said.
“If you know that someone is counting on you to show up, you'll be
more likely to go,” she said. “And longer runs are definitely more
fun if you have company.”
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/1nND4lC
Journal of the American College of Cardiology, online July 28, 2014.
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