People with chronic diseases who perform less than 30 minutes a week of physical activity are more than twice as likely to die in the short term as those who are more active. This was the finding of a survey of 2,336 randomly selected members of a managed care plan who were over 40 and had 2 or more chronic health conditions (high lipid levels, high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, or diabetes). Those who reported less than 30 minutes a week of physical activity had a subsequent mortality risk ratio of 2.82 vs those with 30 minutes or more. The increased mortality risk persisted after adjustments were made for other risk factors such as age, sex, current smoking, and functional impairment. The deaths occurred within 42 months after the members' activity habits were documented.

The researchers, from the HealthPartners Research Foundation, suggested that efforts to maintain physical activity in these patients may yield significant clinical benefits. On the other hand, they noted, if inactivity is a proxy for other factors that elevate mortality risks, then a doctor can ask about inactivity as a way to help identify patients at risk of death.

Related information About it - Physical activity