Vigorous physical activity lowers heart disease and cancer risk

A recent study published in the European Heart Journal in October 2022 has found that health risks can be reduced through a relatively moderate amount of vigorous physical activity done in short bouts in a week.

The study suggests heavy physical activity of 15 to 20 minutes lower mortality by up to 40% and this can have better results when the physical activity is increased up to 50-57 minutes per week.

"15 minutes/ week was associated with a 16% to 18% lower all-cause and cancer mortality, and 20 minutes/week was associated with 40% lower CVD mortality. Further beneficial associations were observed for up to 50-57 minutes per week," the study paper says.

It also observed that 2 bouts/day up to 2 minutes each were associated with 35% lower CVD mortality.

It is an intense form of physical activity.

Medically it can be defined as, physical activity at an energy expenditure rate of at least six metabolic equivalents (METs) is a time-efficient way to achieve recommended physical activity levels and can lead to rapid cardiorespiratory adaptations.

A cohort of 71893 participants between 40–69 years were enrolled for the study from the UK Biobank study with wrist-worn accelerometry.

Of the total number of participants, 55.9% were female.

The study found that approximately 15 min/week was associated with a 16–

18% lower all-cause and cancer mortality risk, and 20 min/week was associated with a 40% lower CVD mortality risk.

15 minutes a week is equivalent to 2 minutes per day. "Our results show accumulating VPA in short bouts that last up to 2 min on average four times/day was associated with substantially lower (27%) mortality risk," the researchers have said.

It also found that lack of time remains the most commonly cited barrier to regular physical activity across age, sex, ethnicity, and health status. "Sustained participation in VPA leisure-time physical activity requires considerable time and often monetary commitment and can be physically challenging for people with poor fitness or established cardiovascular and cancer risk factors such as hypertension and obesity," it said.

It suggests embedding vigorous physical activity in short bouts in regular activities. Although not directly assessed in this study, our findings suggest that short VPA bouts may be also embedded into regular activities of daily living and accrued intermittently throughout a week, it recommends and adds that short VPA durations can stimulate the cardiorespiratory system and lead to measurable cardiovascular adaptations.

It suggests premature mortality and major chronic disease may be lowered with intense physical activity.

As per the data shared by the World Health Organisation (WHO) cardiovascular diseases like coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, rheumatic heart disease and other conditions claim 17.9 million lives every year.

The WHO report highlights the behavioural risk factors that prompt heart diseases in people one of which is being overweight and obese. In many cases excess weight is a result of less physical activity. Several studies have also cited less physical activity as an important risk factor for the onset of heart diseases.

Among other risk factors that lead to heart diseases are raised blood pressure, raised blood glucose, raised blood lipids, tobacco consumption, alcohol intake and unhealthy diet.

Another major life threatening disease is cancer which claims more than 9.5 million lives in a year. Lung, prostate, colorectal, stomach and liver cancer are the most common types of cancer in men, while breast, colorectal, lung, cervical and thyroid cancer are the most common among women.

When it comes to mitigation of cancer risk, physical activity is seen as an option.

Several studies have established a close connection between cancer and physical inactivity. Physical activity has reduced risks of bladder, breast, colon, endometrial, esophageal adenocarcinoma, renal, and gastric cancers

In October, 2022 the WHO had released a report on physical activity in which it had pointed out that globally, 1 in 4 adults do not meet the global recommended levels of physical activity and more than 80% of the world's adolescent population is insufficiently physically active.

The report says that people who are insufficiently active have a 20% to 30% increased risk of death compared to people who are sufficiently active.

It had recommended walking, cycling, wheeling, sports, active recreation and play as the popular ways to remain active.

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