title: Physical activity and all-cause mortality: an updated meta-analysis with different intensity categories.
abstract: In a meta-analysis we investigated the effect of physical activity with different intensity categories on all-cause mortality. Many studies have reported positive effects of regular physical activity on primary prevention. This recent meta-analysis analyzed all-cause mortality with special reference to intensity categories. A computerized systematic literature search was performed in EMBASE, PUBMED, and MEDLINE data bases (1990-2006) for prospective cohort studies on physical leisure activity. Thirty-eight studies were identified and evaluated. The presentation refers to studies with 3 or 4 different intensities of regular physical activity according to a standard questionnaire. There was a significant association of lower all-cause mortality for active individuals compared with sedentary persons. For studies with three activity categories (mildly, moderately, and highly active) and multivariate-adjusted models, highly active men had a 22% lower risk of all-cause mortality (RR=0.78; 95% CI: 0.72 to 0.84) compared to mildly active men. For women, the relative risk was 0.69 (95% CI: 0.53 to 0.90). We observed similar results in moderately active persons compared to mildly active individuals (RR=0.81 for men and RR=0.76 for women). This association of activity to all-cause mortality was similar and significant in older subjects. Regular physical activity over longer time is strongly associated with a reduction in all-cause mortality in active subjects compared to sedentary persons. There is a dose-response curve especially from sedentary subjects to those with mild and moderate exercise with only a minor additional reduction with further increase in activity level.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Ruhr-Universtity, Remscheid, Germany. loellgen@dgsp.de
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Löllgen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Böckenhoff
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Knapp
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*; D012306:Risk; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult