Latest news with #AndrewFreeman
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Lower your risk of early death by some 40% with this lifestyle change
Doing exercises that increase your heart and breathing rate on a regular basis may reduce your risk of an early death across all causes by up to 40%, according to a new meta-analysis of 85 studies that looked at 7 million people worldwide. 'Physical activity may be even more important for long-term health than we previously thought,' study coauthor Gregore Mielke, a senior lecturer at the School of Public Health at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, said in an email. Age didn't seem to matter — people who started exercising at older ages could also increase their longevity, said Ruyi Yu, a public health doctoral student at the University of Brisbane. In fact, the positive impact of increasing physical activity was often stronger in older adults, providing up to a '10% to 15% further reduction in risk' because they are more likely to be facing multiple health problems, she said. 'This highlights that it is never too late to start being physically active, and starting at any point in adulthood can still lead to a longer, healthier life,' Mielke said. The findings are not surprising because physical activity is 'magic,' said Dr. Andrew Freeman, director of cardiovascular prevention and wellness at National Jewish Health in Denver, who was not involved in the study. 'Exercise truly does lower risk in a way you can't get with medications. It's amazing,' Freeman said. 'I tell my patients that physical activity is truly the elixir of youth.' The study, published Thursday in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, is the 'most comprehensive analyses ever conducted' on physical activity from early adulthood onward, Mielke said. 'What makes this study different is that it reviewed research that tracked physical activity at multiple points over time,' he said. 'This allowed us to examine long-term patterns — such as staying active, becoming active later, or stopping activity — and how these patterns affect the risk of death.' While exercise guidelines may differ by country, the meta-analysis applied the World Health Organization's recommendations: at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity (or a combination) throughout the week. Vigorous-intensity exercise such as jogging or race walking really amps up your heart rate — you're likely to start to sweat after only a few minutes, according to the Mayo Clinic. Regular aerobic exercise was most beneficial for heart disease, which is the No. 1 killer in the world. Compared with people who did little to no physical activity, those who exercised the most were about 40% less likely to die from cardiovascular disease, the study found. The risk of cancer dropped by 25%. The largest gains in lifespan occurred when people exercised moderately at least 300 minutes a week, Yu said: 'Doing more than that didn't seem to provide much extra benefit for longevity.' However, even couch potatoes who began to exercise consistently saw a benefit — a 22% drop in the risk of early death, the study found. People who engaged in more leisure-time physical activity saw a 27% drop in risk as well, the study found. Unfortunately, people who stopped exercising appeared to lose longevity momentum — they had a risk of early death similar to those who have always been inactive. 'This result is interesting as this raises an important question: do the benefits of past physical activity last if people stop being active?' Yu said. 'More research is definitely needed for this.' While meeting official exercise guidelines is ideal, it's not the only path to better health, Mielke said. 'Even people who didn't meet the recommended levels — but maintained some level of activity — still had a lower risk of early death compared to those who remained inactive,' he said. 'We encourage people to move in whatever way works for them. What matters most is keeping your body moving and finding ways to enjoy being active.' It's important to start slowly if you're new to exercise — and only after checking with your doctor first — but the goal is to build up to a brisk walk for at least 30 minutes a day, Freeman said. 'If you go with a friend or your spouse or partner, whoever it is, they should be able to talk to you and you should be unable to talk back because you're working so hard,' Freeman said. 'It's good for your relationship and for your body.' You can also add some resistance to take your workout to the next level, he said. 'When I tell people to go walking or biking or swimming or jogging, I usually recommend that they do resistance concurrently,' Freeman said. 'Carry some weights with them or put on a weighted backpack, put resistance on the bike or bike uphill, and put fins on their hands when they swim so that there's resistance in the water. Do whatever they need to try to combine the cardio with strength training.' Sign up for CNN's Fitness, But Better newsletter series. Our seven-part guide will help you ease into a healthy routine, backed by experts.
CNN
11-07-2025
- Health
- CNN
Is exercise the elixir of youth? It may lower risk of early death by up to 40%, new study finds
WellnessFacebookTweetLink Follow Doing exercises that increase your heart and breathing rate on a regular basis may reduce your risk of an early death across all causes by up to 40%, according to a new meta-analysis of 85 studies that looked at 7 million people worldwide. 'Physical activity may be even more important for long-term health than we previously thought,' study coauthor Gregore Mielke, a senior lecturer at the School of Public Health at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, said in an email. Age didn't seem to matter — people who started exercising at older ages could also increase their longevity, said Ruyi Yu, a public health doctoral student at the University of Brisbane. In fact, the positive impact of increasing physical activity was often stronger in older adults, providing up to a '10% to 15% further reduction in risk' because they are more likely to be facing multiple health problems, she said. 'This highlights that it is never too late to start being physically active, and starting at any point in adulthood can still lead to a longer, healthier life,' Mielke said. The findings are not surprising because physical activity is 'magic,' said Dr. Andrew Freeman, director of cardiovascular prevention and wellness at National Jewish Health in Denver, who was not involved in the study. 'Exercise truly does lower risk in a way you can't get with medications. It's amazing,' Freeman said. 'I tell my patients that physical activity is truly the elixir of youth.' The study, published Thursday in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, is the 'most comprehensive analyses ever conducted' on physical activity from early adulthood onward, Mielke said. 'What makes this study different is that it reviewed research that tracked physical activity at multiple points over time,' he said. 'This allowed us to examine long-term patterns — such as staying active, becoming active later, or stopping activity — and how these patterns affect the risk of death.' While exercise guidelines may differ by country, the meta-analysis applied the World Health Organization's recommendations: at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity (or a combination) throughout the week. Vigorous-intensity exercise such as jogging or race walking really amps up your heart rate — you're likely to start to sweat after only a few minutes, according to the Mayo Clinic. Regular aerobic exercise was most beneficial for heart disease, which is the No. 1 killer in the world. Compared with people who did little to no physical activity, those who exercised the most were about 40% less likely to die from cardiovascular disease, the study found. The risk of cancer dropped by 25%. The largest gains in lifespan occurred when people exercised moderately at least 300 minutes a week, Yu said: 'Doing more than that didn't seem to provide much extra benefit for longevity.' However, even couch potatoes who began to exercise consistently saw a benefit — a 22% drop in the risk of early death, the study found. People who engaged in more leisure-time physical activity saw a 27% drop in risk as well, the study found. Unfortunately, people who stopped exercising appeared to lose longevity momentum — they had a risk of early death similar to those who have always been inactive. 'This result is interesting as this raises an important question: do the benefits of past physical activity last if people stop being active?' Yu said. 'More research is definitely needed for this.' While meeting official exercise guidelines is ideal, it's not the only path to better health, Mielke said. 'Even people who didn't meet the recommended levels — but maintained some level of activity — still had a lower risk of early death compared to those who remained inactive,' he said. 'We encourage people to move in whatever way works for them. What matters most is keeping your body moving and finding ways to enjoy being active.' It's important to start slowly if you're new to exercise — and only after checking with your doctor first — but the goal is to build up to a brisk walk for at least 30 minutes a day, Freeman said. 'If you go with a friend or your spouse or partner, whoever it is, they should be able to talk to you and you should be unable to talk back because you're working so hard,' Freeman said. 'It's good for your relationship and for your body.' You can also add some resistance to take your workout to the next level, he said. 'When I tell people to go walking or biking or swimming or jogging, I usually recommend that they do resistance concurrently,' Freeman said. 'Carry some weights with them or put on a weighted backpack, put resistance on the bike or bike uphill, and put fins on their hands when they swim so that there's resistance in the water. Do whatever they need to try to combine the cardio with strength training.' Sign up for CNN's Fitness, But Better newsletter series. Our seven-part guide will help you ease into a healthy routine, backed by experts.
CNN
10-07-2025
- Health
- CNN
Is exercise the elixir of youth? It may lower risk of early death by up to 40%, new study finds
WellnessFacebookTweetLink Follow Doing exercises that increase your heart and breathing rate on a regular basis may reduce your risk of an early death across all causes by up to 40%, according to a new meta-analysis of 85 studies that looked at 7 million people worldwide. 'Physical activity may be even more important for long-term health than we previously thought,' study coauthor Gregore Mielke, a senior lecturer at the School of Public Health at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, said in an email. Age didn't seem to matter — people who started exercising at older ages could also increase their longevity, said Ruyi Yu, a public health doctoral student at the University of Brisbane. In fact, the positive impact of increasing physical activity was often stronger in older adults, providing up to a '10% to 15% further reduction in risk' because they are more likely to be facing multiple health problems, she said. 'This highlights that it is never too late to start being physically active, and starting at any point in adulthood can still lead to a longer, healthier life,' Mielke said. The findings are not surprising because physical activity is 'magic,' said Dr. Andrew Freeman, director of cardiovascular prevention and wellness at National Jewish Health in Denver, who was not involved in the study. 'Exercise truly does lower risk in a way you can't get with medications. It's amazing,' Freeman said. 'I tell my patients that physical activity is truly the elixir of youth.' The study, published Thursday in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, is the 'most comprehensive analyses ever conducted' on physical activity from early adulthood onward, Mielke said. 'What makes this study different is that it reviewed research that tracked physical activity at multiple points over time,' he said. 'This allowed us to examine long-term patterns — such as staying active, becoming active later, or stopping activity — and how these patterns affect the risk of death.' While exercise guidelines may differ by country, the meta-analysis applied the World Health Organization's recommendations: at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity (or a combination) throughout the week. Vigorous-intensity exercise such as jogging or race walking really amps up your heart rate — you're likely to start to sweat after only a few minutes, according to the Mayo Clinic. Regular aerobic exercise was most beneficial for heart disease, which is the No. 1 killer in the world. Compared with people who did little to no physical activity, those who exercised the most were about 40% less likely to die from cardiovascular disease, the study found. The risk of cancer dropped by 25%. The largest gains in lifespan occurred when people exercised moderately at least 300 minutes a week, Yu said: 'Doing more than that didn't seem to provide much extra benefit for longevity.' However, even couch potatoes who began to exercise consistently saw a benefit — a 22% drop in the risk of early death, the study found. People who engaged in more leisure-time physical activity saw a 27% drop in risk as well, the study found. Unfortunately, people who stopped exercising appeared to lose longevity momentum — they had a risk of early death similar to those who have always been inactive. 'This result is interesting as this raises an important question: do the benefits of past physical activity last if people stop being active?' Yu said. 'More research is definitely needed for this.' While meeting official exercise guidelines is ideal, it's not the only path to better health, Mielke said. 'Even people who didn't meet the recommended levels — but maintained some level of activity — still had a lower risk of early death compared to those who remained inactive,' he said. 'We encourage people to move in whatever way works for them. What matters most is keeping your body moving and finding ways to enjoy being active.' It's important to start slowly if you're new to exercise — and only after checking with your doctor first — but the goal is to build up to a brisk walk for at least 30 minutes a day, Freeman said. 'If you go with a friend or your spouse or partner, whoever it is, they should be able to talk to you and you should be unable to talk back because you're working so hard,' Freeman said. 'It's good for your relationship and for your body.' You can also add some resistance to take your workout to the next level, he said. 'When I tell people to go walking or biking or swimming or jogging, I usually recommend that they do resistance concurrently,' Freeman said. 'Carry some weights with them or put on a weighted backpack, put resistance on the bike or bike uphill, and put fins on their hands when they swim so that there's resistance in the water. Do whatever they need to try to combine the cardio with strength training.' Sign up for CNN's Fitness, But Better newsletter series. Our seven-part guide will help you ease into a healthy routine, backed by experts.
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
BMI Is an Awful Predictor of Early Death. We've Had a Better Option For Decades.
The 'go-to' way many clinicians measure healthy weight may be deeply flawed, according to new research. A population study from the University of Florida (UF) has found that BMI, or body mass index, is not the best option for predicting future health risks associated with weight – not by a long shot. Another method, which directly measures body fat and has been around for decades, has now put BMI to shame. It's called a bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). In a nationally representative analysis, those with high body fat levels, as measured by BIA, faced a 262 percent increased risk of death from heart disease compared to those with lower levels. Related: Meanwhile, BMI scores, which simply compare a person's weight to their height, failed to turn up any significant association with mortality. "Let's face it, the magnitude of risk this study shows is enormous," cardiologist Andrew Freeman, who was not involved in the study, told CNN's Sandee LaMotte. "It's scary to think that we may have been using a surrogate – BMI – that may not have been all that accurate over the years." BMI has long been used as a standard measure of obesity, endorsed by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institute of Health (NIH), the World Health Organization (WHO), the American Heart Association (AHA), and many more. In recent years, however, researchers around the world have begun to question BMI measurements, which do not consider body build, age, gender, sex, race, or ethnicity differences. Some medical organizations have even advised doctors to deemphasize the use of BMI. Health services researcher, Arch Mainous, and his colleagues at UF have now proposed a much-needed alternative, and it takes less than a minute to carry out. BIA is a direct measurement of body fat using a portable, inexpensive device. The contraption works by sending a weak electric current into body tissue to determine muscle and fat composition. The technology has been commercially available since the 1980s, but only recently have modern fitness trackers and smartwatches begun to incorporate BIA sensors. While these measurements are not perfect and are subject to variability, UF's nationally representative study suggests that this 25-year-old technology is more accurate as a health indicator than BMI. Over the course of 15 years, researchers found that adults who had high body fat, as measured by BIA, were 78 percent more likely to die of any cause than those with lower body fat levels. By contrast, higher BMI levels did not reveal any significant relationship with all-cause mortality. "This study is a game-changer," says lead author Mainous. "This is the ultimate Coke versus Pepsi test. And BMI failed." Sure, BMI is simple and easy to compute, but it comes with some serious limitations. People who are muscular, for instance, can sometimes be deemed overweight or obese. And on the flip side, those who have a normal BMI but elevated body fat percentages may be unaware that they may face added health risks, such as metabolic syndrome or type 2 diabetes. Mainous and colleagues argue that BIA is a more accurate alternative, and the devices that measure it are inexpensive and compact enough to become a regular feature of medical clinics. The UF team predicts that if their results are validated in larger and more diverse cohorts, "it is likely that measuring body fat percentage with BIA will become a standard of care". "These data will drive better discussions in the doctor's office as well as public health initiatives with the goal of improving the health of all," the researchers conclude. The study was published in the Annals of Family Medicine. There's a Critical Thing We Can All Do to Hold Alzheimer's Symptoms at Bay Ozempic Alternative Ditches The Needle And One Major Side Effect A Simple Change To Your Evening Routine Could Help You Exercise More
CTV News
29-06-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Deep belly fat triggers inflammation. Here's how to reduce it
You can extend your health span by keeping visceral fat in check, doctors say.(ozgurcankaya/iStockphoto/Getty Images via CNN Newsource) Hiding deep inside the body, a dangerous type of fat wraps itself around vital organs such as the kidneys, liver and heart — triggering inflammation that can lead to insulin resistance and chronic diseases which cut life short. Called visceral fat, it can make bellies expand — but not for everyone. Even people who are thin can carry too much visceral fat around their organs, a phenomenon known as 'skinny fat.' 'Visceral fat is a marker for everything — insulin resistance, elevated cardiovascular risk, fatty liver and Type 2 diabetes — all very bad outcomes that limit a long and healthy life,' said Dr. Andrew Freeman, director of cardiovascular prevention and wellness at National Jewish Health in Denver. Excessive deep belly fat is even linked to long-term cognitive health, said preventive neurologist Dr. Kellyann Niotis, who researches Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease risk reduction at the Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases in Boca Raton, Florida. 'Visceral fat is metabolically unhealthy and secretes a lot of inflammatory chemicals that can cause brain atrophy and impact cognition,' Niotis told CNN in a prior interview. As the size of a person's belly grows, studies show the memory center of the brain shrinks and hallmark signs of Alzheimer's disease can appear — namely beta-amyloid plaques and tau tangles. This accelerated march toward dementia can begin as early as the 40s and 50s, well before any cognitive decline is apparent, according to researchers. How do you know if you have visceral fat? If visceral fat is about 10% of your body's total fat mass, that's normal and healthy, according to the Cleveland Clinic. So how do you know if that tummy starting to obscure your view of your feet is out of control? One way to tell is to measure your waistline. Non-pregnant women with a waist size greater than 35 inches (88.9 centimetres) and men with a waist greater than 40 inches (101.6 centimetres) are at higher risk from visceral fat, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. You can measure your waistline yourself: Without sucking in your tummy, wrap a tape measure over your waist at the top of your hip bone (typically across the belly button). Exhale normally and measure, making sure that the tape is parallel to the floor and snug, but not tight, across the skin. (No cheating by sucking in your stomach — this is your health at risk.) Another key sign is lean muscle mass. If you have more body fat than muscle mass, you're more likely to have visceral fat throughout the body, even the muscles, Freeman said. You can measure lean muscle mass with a yearly DEXA scan, a large noninvasive X-ray machine that measures bone density, internal visceral fat and muscle mass. There are also over-the-counter biometric scales that track percentages of body and visceral fat and lean muscle mass. Then there is common sense, Freeman said. Poor exercise and eating habits are a red flag for belly fat, now and in the future. 'Human beings were designed to be fit and strong and active,' he said. 'Eating ultraprocessed foods and not doing cardio and strength training are good signs that if you don't have excess now, you may soon — even if you don't look 'fat.'' Key ways to reduce visceral fat Want to make a change? Visceral fat is reversible with lifestyle changes, Freeman said. 'The real holy grail, the elixir of youth, the key to staying young and aging gracefully is to remain strong and fit,' he said. Always check with your doctor before beginning any new exercise program. Then start with cardio to get the heart pumping, Freeman said. A good method is to briskly walk for at least 30 minutes a day —'but when I say briskly, I mean fast enough to lose your breath and not be able to hold a conversation. Keep that up for a half hour at a minimum.' The critical next step is to add resistance, otherwise known as strength training, he added. 'When I tell people to go walking or biking or swimming or jogging, I usually recommend that they do resistance concurrently,' Freeman said. 'Carry some weights with them, or put on a weighted backpack, put resistance on the bike or bike uphill, and put fins on their hands when they swim so that there's resistance in the water. Do whatever they need to try to combine the cardio with strength training.' Some of the most effective resistance exercises for building lean muscle and losing fat require multiple joints in the body to work together, according to the nonprofit American Council on Exercise. Dead lifts, lunges, planks, presses, pull-ups and push-ups require many muscles that elevate oxygen use and the release of hormones such as adrenaline that increase blood flow to muscles and boost overall heart rate — both key goals. As you build lean muscle mass, try to add weight, increase sets and repetition, and reduce the breaks you take between exercises. If you're unsure how to do that without injuring yourself, seek out the advice of a physical trainer, the council suggests. 'If you're doing all the right things and you're not building muscle mass, talk to your doctor to rule out issues such as low testosterone that may be hindering your progress,' Dr. Richard Isaacson, director of research at the Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, told CNN previously. Address your diet Plant-based diets are excellent ways to improve nutrition and lose belly fat, experts say. 'Get rid of the standard American diet, filled with all the ultraprocessed foods and added fats, sugars and the like and switch to a predominantly whole foods diet,' Freeman said. The Mediterranean diet — which is more of a lifestyle than a diet — has won top honours since 2019 for its focus on eating fruits, vegetables, grains, olive oil, nuts and seeds, while emphasizing the importance of meals with family and friends and daily exercise. The diet also slashes consumption of sweets and recommends small amounts of dairy and meat, especially red meat. Fish, however, is a staple, especially fatty fish such as sardines. Older people who followed a lower-calorie Mediterranean diet and minimally exercised up to six days a week gained muscle and lost a significant amount of body fat by the end of a year and kept much of it off for three years, according to an October 2023 study. A May 2024 study found the Mediterranean dietary pattern cut the risk of death for women by about 25% for more than 25 years, with reductions in both cancer and cardiovascular mortality. Changing when you eat may also help. Try a pattern of eating called intermittent fasting or time-restricted eating, Freeman said. However, he added, it doesn't work for everyone. 'People who are struggling with weight loss have to get their bodies out of its routine, and that's very hard to do,' Freeman said. 'Some people, not everyone, respond by some degree to time-restricted eating. 'You eat breakfast at 11 o'clock, you eat dinner by five o'clock — so six hours a day you're eating, and 18 hours a day you're not. Combine that with strength and cardio training and change the type of fuel to whole foods. You put all those together, and magic things start to happen.' By Sandee LaMotte, CNN
