Study: Being Active in Middle Age May Prevent Early Death, Especially If Your Heart Risk Is High; Regular Light to Vigorous Exercise Is Important for Everyone in Their 50s and 60s, Especially Those With Many Heart Risks.

Byline: University of Michigan Health System

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Nov. 5 (AScribe Newswire) -- A new study gives people in their 50s and 60s another reason to get off the couch and be physically active - especially if they have conditions or habits that endanger their hearts, like diabetes, high blood pressure or smoking.

The study, based on data from 9,611 older adults, shows that those who were regularly active in their 50s and early 60s were about 35 percent less likely to die in the next eight years than those who were sedentary. For those who had a high heart disease risk because of several underlying conditions, the reduction was 45 percent.

And the adults in the study didn't have to run marathons to get the death-reducing benefit: The reduction was seen even among those who walked, gardened, or went dancing a few times a week, as well as those who pursued more vigorous activities. Even those who were obese had a lower risk of dying - if they were regularly active.

The results, published in the November issue of the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, are from a study by researchers at the University of Michigan Medical School and the VA Ann Arbor Health Care System. It used data from the Health and Retirement study conducted by…