ITALY: Active Adults 'Live to a Ripe Old Age'

The GULF DAILY NEWS of Bahrain published this despatch today about a research team in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, headed by an Indian specialist on ageing, which conducted research in Italy. NEW YORK (Gulf Daily News, Bahrain), August 18, 2006: Physically active middle-aged adults may continue to reap the benefits years later, study findings show. "Our study shows that greater physical activity in your 30s, 40s, and 50s has beneficial effects well into the future by helping us maintain our ability to walk and function at older ages," study co-author Dr. Kushang V. Patel, of the National Institute on Aging in Bethesda, Maryland, said. "Our results imply that a physically active lifestyle throughout the life course can not only lead to longer life expectancy, but can also help maintain our ability to walk and quality of life for a longer period of time in older adulthood, which can reduce the burden of disability and health care costs in the population," the researcher added. Patel and colleagues analysed information on 1,155 seniors in Italy who were asked about their levels of physical activity during their midlife - ages 20 to 40 and 40 to 60 - and underwent a medical examination and testing of their mobility. Participants who reported engaging in more physical activity during their midlife years performed better on tests of their mobility than did those who reported less physical activity, the researchers report in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. In fact, seniors who reported engaging in vigorous physical activity during their earlier years scored nearly one point higher on a battery of tests evaluating their physical performance, including their walking and chair-rise speeds, than did those who reported the lowest level of physical activity. © Gulf Daily News