| Users' rating |
 (0 vote) |
|
| Views |
237  |
|
|
|
 According to journalist Madeleine Brindley in the 18 July article published in the on-line magazine IC-Wales, the image of a couch potatoe, slumped in front of the television surrounded by empty crisp packets has become the defining picture of the 21st century lifestyles.
This lifestyle has been blamed for a multitude of health problems such as heart disease, obesity, diabetes.
Scientists from the University of Ulm and University of Heidelberg in Germany, interviewed 312 coronary heart disease patients and 479 people without the disease, all aged between 40 and 68. The results are astonishing.
The researchers found that those who had remained active throughout their lives were about 60% less likely to be diagnosed with coronary heart disease than those who had led very inactive lives. But experts now believe that people who start exercising even later in life can significantly cut their chances of developing coronary artery disease.
According to research published in the medical journal “Heart” (Wannamaethe SG. Heart 2006 Jul 19; [Epub ahead of print]) the risk of coronary heart disease could be cut by up to 55% if people became physically active at the age of 40.
Writing in the journal the scientists said: “These data provide evidence that changing from a sedentary to an active physical activity pattern, even at an older age, may result in a strong reduction of coronary heart disease risk.”
According to Todd Manini of the U.S. National Institute on Aging in Bethesda, Maryland the message is that even for older adults “any movement is better than no movement and this can come from usual day activities.”
Elderly people who load the dishwasher, climb stairs or just keep moving are bond to live longer than their sedentary counterparts.
|
