title: Physical activity and years of healthy life in older adults: results from the cardiovascular health study.
abstract: Little is known about how many years of life and disability-free years seniors can gain through exercise. Using data from the Cardiovascular Health Study, the authors estimated the extra years of life and self-reported healthy life (over 11 years) and years without impairment in activities of daily living (over 6 years) associated with quintiles of physical activity (PA) in older adults from different age groups. They estimated PA from the Minnesota Leisure Time Activities Questionnaire. Multivariable linear regression adjusted for health-related covariates. The relative gains in survival and years of healthy life (YHL) generally were proportionate to the amount of PA, greater among those 75+, and higher in men. Compared with being sedentary, the most active men 75+ had 1.49 more YHL (95% CI: 0.79, 2.19), and the most active women 75+ had 1.06 more YHL (95% CI: 0.44, 1.68). Seniors over age 74 experience the largest relative gains in survival and healthy life from physical activity.
authors.affiliation: Depts. of Medicine and Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, Medical Center, Sacramento, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Calvin H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Hirsch
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Diehr
authors.forename: Anne B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Newman
authors.forename: Shirley A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Gerrior
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pratt
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Lebowitz
authors.forename: Sharon A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Jackson
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D019057:Quality-Adjusted Life Years; D012737:Sex Factors