Reduced diabetic, hypertensive, and cholesterol medication use with walking.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the relationships of walking distance, frequency, and intensity to the prevalence of antidiabetic, antihypertensive, and LDL cholesterol-lowering medications use.


METHODS
Cross-sectional analyses of 32,683 female and 8112 male participants of the National Walkers' Health Study, of whom 2.8% and 7.4% reported antidiabetic, 14.3% and 29.0% reported antihypertensive, and 7.3% and 21.5% reported LDL cholesterol-lowering medication use, respectively.


RESULTS
Weekly walking distance, longest walk, and walking intensity were inversely related to the prevalence of antidiabetic (males: P < 0.001, females: P < 0.0001), antihypertensive (males: P < 0.01, females: P < 0.0001), and LDL cholesterol-lowering medications (males: P < 0.01, females: P < 0.0001). Each medication remained significantly related to both walking intensity and longest weekly walk when adjusted for total weekly distance. Compared with men and women who walked at a speed of < 1.2 m.s, those who walked > 2.1 m.s had 48% and 52% lower odds for antihypertensive, 68% and 59% lower odds for antidiabetic, and 53% and 40% lower odds for LDL cholesterol-lowering medications, respectively, when adjusted for age, smoking, and diet. The longest usual weekly walk was a better discriminator of medication status than the total cumulative distance per week, particularly in men.


CONCLUSIONS
These results are consistent with the hypothesis that antidiabetic, antihypertensive, and LDL cholesterol-lowering medication use may be reduced substantially by walking more intensely and farther each week, and by including longer walks.
Williams
Paul T
PT
Donner Laboratory, Life Sciences Division, Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA. ptwilliams@lbl.gov
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D018680:Cholinergic Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D005082:Physical Exertion; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D018680:Cholinergic Antagonists; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents