Physical and muscle strngthening activities may reduce CV and all cause mortality: JAMA

The optimal combination of moderate aerobic physical activity (MPA), vigorous aerobic physical activity (VPA), and muscle-strengthening activity (MSA) is still a question mark to reduce the risk of all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality. Overdoing and underdoing of exercise still remains a major concern.

This current study of 500,000 participants showed that balanced levels of moderate aerobic physical activity, vigorous aerobic physical activity, and muscle strengthening activity combined may be associated with optimal reductions of mortality risk. Higher-than-recommended levels of moderate aerobic physical activity and vigorous aerobic physical activity may further lower the risk of cancer and all-cause mortality, respectively.

Several studies examining the associations of different combinations of intensity-specific aerobic and muscle strengthening activity (MSA) with all-cause and cause-specific mortality are scarce. To examine the same researchers conducted a study and its findings are published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

The nationwide prospective cohort study used data from the US National Health Interview Survey. A total of 500 705 eligible US adults were included in the study and followed up during a median of 10.0 years (5.6 million person-years) from 1997 to 2018. Data were analyzed from September 1 to September 30, 2022. Self-reported cumulative bouts (75 weekly minutes) of MPA and VPA with recommended MSA guidelines (yes or no) to obtain 48 mutually exclusive exposure categories. All-cause, CVD, and cancer mortality. Participants were linked to the National Death Index through December 31, 2019.