Exercise /Mediterranean diet helps people live longer

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Physical activity may be tied to lower death risk in older people.

THE QUESTION It's good for the heart, the waistline and more, but does exercise actually help people live longer?

THIS STUDY analyzed data on 252,925 older people (average age, 62) who had no chronic diseases. In a five-year span, 7,900 of them died. People who had exercised vigorously for 20 minutes three or more times a week were 32 percent less likely to have died for any reason, including cancer and heart disease, than were sedentary people. Vigorous exercise was defined as any exercise that involved an increase in breathing or heart rate or working up a sweat. Exercise of moderate intensity for more than three hours a week reduced the risk of dying by 27 percent. Even people who exercised minimally showed modest reductions in the likelihood of dying during this period, compared with non-exercisers.

WHO MAY BE AFFECTED? Older people. Physical activity has been shown to stave off diabetes, heart disease and cancer, to enhance mood and to allow people to stay independent longer.

CAVEATS Data were based on participants' recollection of physical activities. The authors wrote that the benefit found for people who exercised minimally may have been attributed in part to possible overestimation of their activity level.

FIND THIS STUDY Dec. 10/24 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

LEARN MORE ABOUT exercise and aging at http://www.niapublications.org (search for " exercise book " ) and http://www.healthinaging.org (click " Topics at a Glance, " then " Physical Activity " ).

KNEE PAIN

Exercise seems to help as much as surgery in some cases.

THE QUESTION When knee pain persists, treatment options include exercise and surgery. Does one offer more relief than the other?

THIS STUDY involved 56 people, 18 to 40 years old, who'd had pain in the front part of their knee (known as patellofemoral syndrome) for at least six months. They were randomly assigned to do strengthening and stretching exercises for 30 minutes a day or to have arthroscopic surgery to diagnose and treat any problems and then do the daily exercises. Nine months later, both groups reported less pain and markedly improved mobility, with virtually no difference in their assessments on standardized scales.

WHO MAY BE AFFECTED? People with pain in the front of their knees. Such pain often stems from an injury, but it also can be caused by ligament damage, degeneration of bone or cartilage, or cartilage damage, overuse, infections or diseases such as gout.

DIET

Adopting a Mediterranean diet could be a factor in longevity.

THE QUESTION Does adhering to a Mediterranean diet -- featuring lots of fruit, vegetables, nuts, grains and fish, and little meat and dairy products -- lengthen lives?

THIS STUDY analyzed data on 380,296 people who averaged 62 years old and were free of chronic diseases. In a 10-year span, 27,799 of them died. The more that people had conformed to a Mediterranean-style diet, the less likely they were to have died during this time. Men who followed the diet most closely were 21 percent less likely to have died for any reason, including cancer and heart disease, than were those who did not follow the diet; women were 22 percent less likely.

WHO MAY BE AFFECTED? Older people. The typical American consumes fewer fruits, vegetables and grains and more salt, sugar and saturated fat than health experts recommend. Many blame this eating pattern, along with minimal exercise, for an increasing number of overweight people with chronic health problems.

CAVEATS Data on foods consumed came from questionnaires completed by the study participants. The study did not list precise causes of death.

FIND THIS STUDY Dec. 10/24 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

LEARN MORE ABOUT the Mediterranean diet at http://www.americanheart.org; learn about he