Activity levels tied to 21% drop in new cases of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
THURSDAY, March 1 (HealthDay News) -- Moderate to high levels of regular exercise may help slow lung function decline in smokers and lower their risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a Spanish study suggests.
Researchers publishing in the March issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine examined the physical activity, smoking history and lung function of nearly 6,800 people over 11 years. None of them had COPD at the start of the trial, but 928 of the participants developed the lung disease during the study.
The researchers found that moderate to high levels of exercise among smokers in the study were associated with a 21 percent decline in potential new cases of COPD. They believe that regular exercise suppresses the production of inflammatory markers in the lungs caused by smoking.
It had been believed that quitting smoking and reducing occupational exposure to smoke were smokers' only options for slowing lung function decline. This study showed that exercise may provide another important option, the study authors said.
"The interaction between physical activity and smoking should be taken into account when projecting the future burden of this respiratory disease," researcher Dr. Judith Garcia-Aymerich, of the Center for Research in Environmental Epidemiology at the Institut Municipal d'Ivestigacio Medica in Barcelona, said in a prepared statement.
COPD, the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, results from chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Smoking is the primary cause of COPD.
About Lifestyle Family Fitness: Lifestyle Family Fitness was founded in Lakeland, Florida in 1982 and currently owns and operates locations in the Florida market, Ohio and now in North Carolina with approximately 180,000 members. The International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) currently ranks Lifestyle as one of the top 25 fastest growing fitness companies in the world. All of the Lifestyle facilities include a variety of fitness equipment, group fitness classes, personal training, childcare and related amenities that help “Bring Your Body To Life
®.” Investment partners include Quantum Capital Partners, Inc., Ballast Point Ventures and The Burton Partnership. Lifestyle’s corporate headquarters is located at 140 Fountain Parkway, Suite 410, St. Petersburg, Florida 33716. To learn more about Lifestyle, please call (727) 456-3100 ext. 4337 or visit
www.lff.com.