“Sustained exercise and a positive life are the secret to longevity”
More physical activity in women over the age of 60 was found to live longer, regardless of genetic predispositions related to longevity.
This is the result of an analysis of postmenopausal women’s health data by a research team at the University of California, San Diego, USA. The research team analyzed data on the physical activity of 5446 ambulatory women aged 63 and older between 2012 and 2020. It was to determine whether physical activity had a greater advantage than genetic predisposition (factor) in promoting longevity. Among the women analyzed, 1,022 died during the follow-up period (6 years). The study found that the higher the level (intensity) of physical activity among women, the lower the risk of all-cause death, and the more sedentary time, the greater the health risk. This means that if you increase your physical activity, you can live longer, and if you spend more time sitting, you will die faster.
The lead author of the study, Dr. Aladdin Shadiab, from the University of California at San Diego’s Graduate School of Public Health and Longevity, said, “Even if you are not likely to live long due to your genes, you can prolong your life sufficiently if you exercise regularly and live a positive life.” The research team measured longevity-related genetic propensity as a ‘weighted genetic risk score (GRS) for longevity’. The higher the GRS, the lower the genetic odds of living longer. Of the subjects, 36% had a high GRS, 33.1% had a moderate GRS, and 30.9% had a low GRS. The researchers said it was interesting that people with lower GRS were relatively younger, more active, and had better physical function.
According to the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), the average life expectancy of Americans by 2021 is 76.1 years (73.2 years for men and 79.1 years for women). It is analyzed that the average life expectancy in 2019 (79 years) has dropped significantly due to the corona pandemic. Meanwhile, the life expectancy of Koreans as of 2020 is 80.5 years for men and 86.5 years for women. The research team repeatedly emphasized that active physical activity is very important for healthy aging. Regarding the results of this study, Dr. Scott Kaiser (Geriatrics) at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica, California, said, “Exercise is close to a miracle drug for healthy aging.”
The results of this study were published in the ≪Journal of Aging and Physical Activity≫ and introduced by ‘Medical News Today’, a British health medical media.
By Kim Young-seop, staff reporter [email protected]
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