The association of physical activity with all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortalities among older adults

Objective. To evaluate the association of physical activity with all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortalities among older adults. Methods. A study sample consisting of 77,541 community-dwelling Taipei citizens aged >= 65 years was selected based on data obtained from the government-sponsored Annual Geriatric Health Examination Program between 2006 and 2010. Subjects were asked how many times they had physical activity for >= 30 min during the past 6 months. Mortality was determined by matching cohort identifications with national death files. Results. Compared to subjects with no physical activity, those who had 1-2 times of physical activity per week had a decreased risk of all-cause mortality [hazard ratio (HR): 0.77; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.71-0.85). Subjects with 3-5 times of physical activity per week had a further decreased risk of all-cause mortality (HR: 0.64; 95% Cl: 0.58-0.70). An inverse dose-response relationship was observed between physical activity and all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality. According to stratified analyses, physical activity was associated with a decreased risk of mortality in most subgroups. Conclusions. Physical activity had an inverse association with all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality among older adults. Furthermore, most elderly people can benefit from an active lifestyle. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.