New! Sign up for our free email newsletter.
Science News
from research organizations

Older adults with limited mobility may lessen heart problems with activity

Date:
February 18, 2015
Source:
American Heart Association
Summary:
Every minute of physical activity may lower risk of heart attack or coronary death in older adults with limited mobility. The amount of activity appeared more important to predicted heart risk than the intensity of the activity, researchers say.
Share:
FULL STORY

Older adults with limited mobility may lower their risk of heart attack and coronary death for every minute of physical activity, according to research in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

"Reducing time spent being sedentary even by engaging in low-intensity activities could have important cardiovascular benefits for older adults with mobility limitations," said Thomas W. Buford, Ph.D., senior author of the study and director of the Health Promotion Center of the University of Florida Institute on Aging in Gainesville, Florida.

In the Lifestyles Interventions and Independence for Elders Study (LIFE), researchers measured movement with accelerometers in 1,170 people ages 74-84 at eight centers across the United States who had physical limitations but could walk 400 meters (about 1,312 feet).

Accelerometer readings of fewer than 100 counts a minute were considered sedentary periods. Anything more was deemed physical activity:

  • readings of 100-499 suggested exercise like slow walking or light housekeeping, and

  • 500 indicated moderate walking or similarly intensive activities.

Using factors such as age, cholesterol levels and blood pressure, the researchers calculated participants' predicted 10-year risk of heart attack or coronary death and found:

  • For every 25-30 minutes a participant was sedentary per day, his/her predicted risk was 1 percent higher.

  • Physical activity in the 100-499 counts/minute range was linked to higher HDL ("good") cholesterol levels in people with no history of heart disease.

  • Participants on average spent only an hour or less with physical activity readings at or above 500.

Generally, most physical activity recommendations suggest that adults should engage in higher intensity activities -- readings around 2,000 counts a minute -- to improve or maintain health. But that level might not be realistic for sedentary older adults with limited mobility, researchers said.

"In the past, much of the emphasis was placed on engaging in structured physical exercise," Buford said. "It is becoming increasingly evident, however, that encouraging individuals to just reduce the amount of time they spend being sedentary may have important cardiovascular benefits."

Because study participants were active in a narrow range of intensity, researchers aren't sure if intensity doesn't matter.

"The idea is that, even if you exercise for an hour in the morning, if you go and sit for eight hours the rest of the day you may have health risks that are independent of the fact you exercised," Buford said. "This stresses the need for regular intervals of low-level movement and to avoid sitting for excessive stretches of time."


Story Source:

Materials provided by American Heart Association. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. J. D. Fitzgerald, L. Johnson, D. G. Hire, W. T. Ambrosius, S. D. Anton, J. A. Dodson, A. P. Marsh, M. M. McDermott, J. R. Nocera, C. Tudor-Locke, D. K. White, V. Yank, M. Pahor, T. M. Manini, T. W. Buford. Association of Objectively Measured Physical Activity With Cardiovascular Risk in Mobility-limited Older Adults. Journal of the American Heart Association, 2015; 4 (2): e001288 DOI: 10.1161/JAHA.114.001288

Cite This Page:

American Heart Association. "Older adults with limited mobility may lessen heart problems with activity." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 18 February 2015. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/02/150218165826.htm>.
American Heart Association. (2015, February 18). Older adults with limited mobility may lessen heart problems with activity. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 28, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/02/150218165826.htm
American Heart Association. "Older adults with limited mobility may lessen heart problems with activity." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/02/150218165826.htm (accessed March 28, 2024).

Explore More

from ScienceDaily

RELATED STORIES