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Walk faster, live longer, say experts

13 November 2009

Older people who walk quickly may be less likely to die from heart disease, according to new research carried out in France.

There is no doubt that doing regular physical activity is good for your heart, something that this study backs up further.

Assistant medical director for Bupa, Dr Virginia Warren

Scientists timed how long it took 3,000 men and women aged 65 and over to walk a set distance, both at their usual pace and as fast as they could without running. The researchers then carried out two follow-up tests over the next five years.

The results showed that of the people who died during the study, about half had the slowest walking speed. The researchers looked into the causes of death and found that these people were three times more likely to have died from heart disease. However, the risk of dying from cancer did not appear to be linked to walking speed. These findings stood even after taking into account each person's blood pressure and cholesterol levels, as well as information about whether they had diabetes or any previous heart problems (such as a heart attack).

Bupa's assistant medical director, Dr Virginia Warren, said: "The findings of this study are of interest, but it's important to keep in mind that out of the total number of people taking part, only a relatively small number died. At this stage we can't draw any concrete conclusions from the data.

"It's also not possible to say whether walking slowly led to heart disease, or whether the people who walked more slowly did so because they already had heart disease.

"Nevertheless, testing walking speed may be useful for measuring fitness in older people. In addition, there is no doubt that doing regular physical activity is good for your heart, something that this study backs up further."

Key facts
  • Heart disease is one of the most common causes of death in both men and women worldwide.
  • The term heart disease covers a number of conditions that affect how well your heart functions. The most common is coronary heart disease.
  • Coronary heart disease usually develops as a result of fatty deposits building up on the blood vessels that supply your heart, causing them to narrow and making it harder for blood to reach your heart.
  • You can reduce your risk of heart disease by taking regular exercise, eating a healthy, balanced diet and not smoking.

Related information

Read the study

Dumurgier J, Elbaz A, Ducimetière P, et al. Slow walking speed and cardiovascular death in well functioning older adults: prospective cohort study. BMJ 2009; 339:b4460. doi:10.1136/bmj.b4460

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