Fun and Fitness for the 40-Something

Here’s an unexpected benefit of running: According to two massive studies, running can reduce the risk of both cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.

The two studies from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory were published in a recent issue of the journal Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. The epidemiologist who conducted the research says the studies “suggest that people can perhaps lessen their risk for these diseases by taking part in a fitness regimen that includes vigorous exercise.”

To reach his conclusions, he analyzed data collected in the National Runners Health Study, established in 1991 to determine the health benefits of running. In the first study, the researcher tracked (so to speak) about 29,000 male runners and 12,000 female runners for more than seven years. Of these individuals, 733 men reported being diagnosed with cataracts on a questionnaire completed the end of the study. Too few women reported cataracts to track.

Men who ran more than 5.7 miles per day had a 35 percent lower risk of developing cataracts than men who ran fewer than 1.4 miles per day. The study also analyzed men’s 10-kilometer race performances, a good indicator of overall fitness. The fittest men had half the risk of developing cataracts of the least-fit men.

A second study found that running appeared to reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration, with only 152 men and women reporting diagnoses of the disease. Compared to people who ran fewer than 1.2 miles per day, those who averaged between 1.2 and 2.4 miles per day had a 19 percent lower risk for the disease, and people who ran more than 2.4 miles per day had between 42 percent and 54 percent lower risk of the disease.

The study is notable for its large size and its focus on vigorous exercise. Most of the runners in the study exceeded the current public health recommendations for physical activity—at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activities, such as brisk walking, five days a week or smaller doses of more vigorous exercise, such as running.

While it remains unclear whether people might also reduce their risk for cataracts and age-related macular degeneration by walking, the researcher believes it “is quite likely that the studies’ results might apply to a lesser extent to smaller doses of more moderate exercise.”

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 24th, 2009 at 8:36 am and is filed under Health and Wellness, Running. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.