A little exercise may prevent arthritis disability
|
|
Even a quite modest amount of exercise might be better than none at all when it comes to preventing disability from arthritis, new research suggests.
In a study that followed more than 3,500 U.S. adults with arthritis, researchers found that those who were getting some regular physical activity at the study’s start were less likely than their sedentary peers to develop worsening problems with walking, climbing stairs and other daily activities.
What’s more, exercisers were more likely than inactive adults to show improvements in any mobility problems they had at the outset. The findings are published in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism.
The study included 3,554 adults ages 53 to 63 who had osteoarthritis, the wear-and-tear form of arthritis in which the cartilage cushioning the joints breaks down over time, leading to pain, stiffness and, often, limited mobility.
Among older Americans, osteoarthritis is one of the major causes of functional decline—problems with daily activities like walking short distances, bathing and preparing meals.
The new findings suggest, however, that even modest levels of exercise can help prevent disability from arthritis, or perhaps reverse it in some cases, according to Dr. Joe Feinglass, the study’s lead author.
Study participants who got some exercise—but less than 30 minutes per day of moderate activity or less than 20 minutes of vigorous exercise—were still less likely than inactive arthritis sufferers to show functional decline over time.
However, that doesn’t mean there’s no benefit to getting more exercise, noted Feinglass, a research associate professor at Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago.
He told Reuters Health that he and his colleagues have found, in this same study group, that vigorous exercise lowered the risk of type 2 diabetes—a major risk factor for such ills as heart attack and stroke—while modest activity did not.
Still, even lower levels of exercise may be enough where arthritis disability is concerned. Other studies, Feinglass said, have found that walking may be a good form of exercise for people with the joint disease.
In their study, he and his colleagues divided participants up into three groups based on their reported leisure-time activities at the start of the study: an inactive group, an insufficiently active group, and a group that got the recommended level of exercise for adults - at least 30 minutes of moderate activity like walking or gardening on most days of the week, or 20 minutes of vigorous exercise like running or swimming.
Overall, adults in this latter group were 41 percent less likely to show functional decline over the next 2 years than their inactive peers were. The risk reduction was almost as great for those who exercised at a less-than-ideal level.
“Given the high prevalence of arthritis,” Feinglass and his colleagues write, “even modest increases in rates of lifestyle physical activity among older adults could make a substantial contribution to disability-free life expectancy.”
It is always a good idea, Feinglass noted, for sedentary people with arthritis to consult their doctor before taking up any activity.
SOURCE: Arthritis & Rheumatism, December 15, 2005.
Print Version
Tell-a-Friend comments powered by Disqus
