Skip to main content
PMC home page
Public Health Reports logoLink to Public Health Reports
. 1985 Mar-Apr;100(2):180–188.

The disease-specific benefits and risks of physical activity and exercise.

D S Siscovick, R E LaPorte, J M Newman
PMCID: PMC1424738  PMID: 3920716

Abstract

Physical inactivity has been related to the occurrence of coronary heart disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and osteoporosis. The literature was reviewed to determine what is and what is not known about the efficacy and safety of physical activity in each of these conditions. Although there is a transient increase in the risk of sudden cardiac death during vigorous activity, there is mounting evidence that habitual vigorous activity is associated with an overall reduced risk of coronary heart disease. It is unlikely that this association merely reflects the "selection" that results from sick persons who tend to be less active. Several studies suggest that physical activity may be related to the prevention and control of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and osteoporosis. However, additional research is needed to make explicit the risks and benefits of physical activity in each of these conditions. Finally, future efforts should determine the type, intensity, frequency, and duration of activity required to maximize the benefits and minimize the hazards of physical activity. The public health and clinical significance of these questions requires that they be examined in the most rigorous manner feasible.

Full text

PDF
180

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Aloia J. F. Exercise and skeletal health. J Am Geriatr Soc. 1981 Mar;29(3):104–107. doi: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1981.tb01970.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Blair S. N., Goodyear N. N., Gibbons L. W., Cooper K. H. Physical fitness and incidence of hypertension in healthy normotensive men and women. JAMA. 1984 Jul 27;252(4):487–490. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Boyer J. L., Kasch F. W. Exercise therapy in hypertensive men. JAMA. 1970 Mar 9;211(10):1668–1671. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Brand R. J., Paffenbarger R. S., Jr, Sholtz R. I., Kampert J. B. Work activity and fatal heart attack studied by multiple logistic risk analysis. Am J Epidemiol. 1979 Jul;110(1):52–62. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a112787. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Chalmers J., Ho K. C. Geographical variations in senile osteoporosis. The association with physical activity. J Bone Joint Surg Br. 1970 Nov;52(4):667–675. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Choquette G., Ferguson R. J. Blood pressure reduction in "borderline" hypertensives following physical training. Can Med Assoc J. 1973 Mar 17;108(6):699–703. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Cooper K. H., Pollock M. L., Martin R. P., White S. R., Linnerud A. C., Jackson A. Physical fitness levels vs selected coronary risk factors. A cross-sectional study. JAMA. 1976 Jul 12;236(2):166–169. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Dalén N., Olsson K. E. Bone mineral content and physical activity. Acta Orthop Scand. 1974;45(2):170–174. doi: 10.3109/17453677408989136. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Drinkwater B. L., Nilson K., Chesnut C. H., 3rd, Bremner W. J., Shainholtz S., Southworth M. B. Bone mineral content of amenorrheic and eumenorrheic athletes. N Engl J Med. 1984 Aug 2;311(5):277–281. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198408023110501. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Garcia-Palmieri M. R., Costas R., Jr, Cruz-Vidal M., Sorlie P. D., Havlik R. J. Increased physical activity: a protective factor against heart attacks in Puerto Rico. Am J Cardiol. 1982 Oct;50(4):749–755. doi: 10.1016/0002-9149(82)91229-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Gibbons L. W., Blair S. N., Cooper K. H., Smith M. Association between coronary heart disease risk factors and physical fitness in healthy adult women. Circulation. 1983 May;67(5):977–983. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.67.5.977. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Hansson T. H., Roos B. O., Nachemson A. Development of osteopenia in the fourth lumbar vertebra during prolonged bed rest after operation for scoliosis. Acta Orthop Scand. 1975 Sep;46(4):621–630. doi: 10.3109/17453677508989244. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. King H., Taylor R., Zimmet P., Pargeter K., Raper L. R., Beriki T., Tekanene J. Non-insulin-dependent diabetes (NIDDM) in a newly independent Pacific nation: the Republic of Kiribati. Diabetes Care. 1984 Sep-Oct;7(5):409–415. doi: 10.2337/diacare.7.5.409. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Krølner B., Toft B., Pors Nielsen S., Tøndevold E. Physical exercise as prophylaxis against involutional vertebral bone loss: a controlled trial. Clin Sci (Lond) 1983 May;64(5):541–546. doi: 10.1042/cs0640541. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Krølner B., Toft B. Vertebral bone loss: an unheeded side effect of therapeutic bed rest. Clin Sci (Lond) 1983 May;64(5):537–540. doi: 10.1042/cs0640537. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Kukkonen K., Rauramaa R., Voutilainen E., Länsimies E. Physical training of middle-aged men with borderline hypertension. Ann Clin Res. 1982;14 (Suppl 34):139–145. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Mann G. V., Garrett H. L., Farhi A., Murray H., Billings F. T. Exercise to prevent coronary heart disease. An experimental study of the effects of training on risk factors for coronary disease in men. Am J Med. 1969 Jan;46(1):12–27. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(69)90054-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Mazess R. B., Whedon G. D. Immobilization and bone. Calcif Tissue Int. 1983 May;35(3):265–267. doi: 10.1007/BF02405043. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Morris J. N., Everitt M. G., Pollard R., Chave S. P., Semmence A. M. Vigorous exercise in leisure-time: protection against coronary heart disease. Lancet. 1980 Dec 6;2(8206):1207–1210. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(80)92476-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Paffenbarger R. S., Hale W. E. Work activity and coronary heart mortality. N Engl J Med. 1975 Mar 13;292(11):545–550. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197503132921101. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Paffenbarger R. S., Jr, Hyde R. T., Wing A. L., Steinmetz C. H. A natural history of athleticism and cardiovascular health. JAMA. 1984 Jul 27;252(4):491–495. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Paffenbarger R. S., Jr, Wing A. L., Hyde R. T., Jung D. L. Physical activity and incidence of hypertension in college alumni. Am J Epidemiol. 1983 Mar;117(3):245–257. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a113537. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Paffenbarger R. S., Jr, Wing A. L., Hyde R. T. Physical activity as an index of heart attack risk in college alumni. Am J Epidemiol. 1978 Sep;108(3):161–175. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a112608. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Richter E. A., Ruderman N. B., Schneider S. H. Diabetes and exercise. Am J Med. 1981 Jan;70(1):201–209. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(81)90427-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Román O., Camuzzi A. L., Villalón E., Klenner C. Physical training program in arterial hypertension. A long-term prospective follow-up. Cardiology. 1981;67(4):230–243. doi: 10.1159/000173248. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Salonen J. T., Puska P., Tuomilehto J. Physical activity and risk of myocardial infarction, cerebral stroke and death: a longitudinal study in Eastern Finland. Am J Epidemiol. 1982 Apr;115(4):526–537. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a113334. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Siscovick D. S., Weiss N. S., Fletcher R. H., Lasky T. The incidence of primary cardiac arrest during vigorous exercise. N Engl J Med. 1984 Oct 4;311(14):874–877. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198410043111402. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Siscovick D. S., Weiss N. S., Fletcher R. H., Schoenbach V. J., Wagner E. H. Habitual vigorous exercise and primary cardiac arrest: effect of other risk factors on the relationship. J Chronic Dis. 1984;37(8):625–631. doi: 10.1016/0021-9681(84)90112-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Siscovick D. S., Weiss N. S., Hallstrom A. P., Inui T. S., Peterson D. R. Physical activity and primary cardiac arrest. JAMA. 1982 Dec 17;248(23):3113–3117. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Stamler J., Farinaro E., Mojonnier L. M., Hall Y., Moss D., Stamler R. Prevention and control of hypertension by nutritional-hygienic means. Long-term experience of the Chicago Coronary Prevention Evaluation Program. JAMA. 1980 May 9;243(18):1819–1823. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Stein H., Sabato S., Leichter I., Nir D., Weinreb A. A new method of measuring bone density in the lower tibia of normal and postinjury limbs. A quantitative and comparative study. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1983 Apr;(174):181–187. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. WHEDON G. D., SHORR E. Metabolic studies in paralytic acute anterior poliomyelitis. II. Alterations in calcium and phosphorus metabolism. J Clin Invest. 1957 Jun;36(6 Pt 2):966–981. doi: 10.1172/JCI103496. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Zimmet P., Faaiuso S., Ainuu J., Whitehouse S., Milne B., DeBoer W. The prevalence of diabetes in the rural and urban Polynesian population of Western Samoa. Diabetes. 1981 Jan;30(1):45–51. doi: 10.2337/diab.30.1.45. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Public Health Reports are provided here courtesy of SAGE Publications

RESOURCES