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. 2010 Jul;18(3):313-34.
doi: 10.1123/japa.18.3.313.

Physical activity and years of healthy life in older adults: results from the cardiovascular health study

Calvin H Hirsch  1 , Paula Diehr, Anne B Newman, Shirley A Gerrior, Charlotte Pratt, Michael D Lebowitz, Sharon A Jackson
Affiliations

Physical activity and years of healthy life in older adults: results from the cardiovascular health study

Calvin H Hirsch et al. J Aging Phys Act. 2010 Jul.

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.

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