Premium Rush / Columbia Pictures, 2012
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Scientists in a sample of almost 395,000 British showed a connection between their preferred mode of movement, mortality, and cancer incidence. The most healthy way turned out to be a bicycle: in comparison with those who prefer to drive on personal vehicles, cyclists have a 20 percent lower mortality rate, a 24 and 16 percent lower mortality rate from cardiovascular diseases and cancer, and are diagnosed by 11 percent less often crayfish. The article is published in the journal. The lancet planetary health.
A healthy lifestyle involves a certain level of physical activity. Those who do not have enough time to play sports are advised to move more: for example, take a walk in the evenings, do exercises in the mornings, and use a bicycle (or walk too) to get to work. In particular, several years ago, scientists have already shown that those who ride a bicycle to work lose weight no worse than training, and brisk walking is associated with a reduced risk of death from all causes.
However, large population studies that would confirm the connection between the preferred mode of transportation, health and mortality, in fact, not so much. Scientists decided to conduct it under the leadership of Richard Patterson (Richard Patterson) from the University of Cambridge. To do this, they used the data of the Census of the inhabitants of England and Wales: for analysis, they selected information on 394746 Britons who were older than 16 at the time of the 1991 census and updated information about themselves during subsequent censuses in 2001 and 2011.
Scientists have examined how the preferred mode of transportation (personal transportation, public transportation, cycling or walking) correlates with mortality (overall, from cancer and cardiovascular disease), as well as cancer incidence. The analysis also included data on age, gender, socioeconomic status, the presence of a permanent partner, the presence of chronic diseases, education, as well as the availability of cars and population density in the participant’s place of residence. All these data were taken into account as secondary variables.
During the period covered by the study, 13,983 Britons died of various causes: 3172 of them died of cardiovascular diseases, and 6509 died of cancer (the number of registered cases of cancer was 20,890 people). Compared to the group that preferred driving in personal vehicles, among those who used the bike more often, the number of deaths from all causes was lower by 20 percent, from cardiovascular diseases – by 24 percent, and from cancer – by 16 percent, and cancer was diagnosed 11 percent less often. Among those using public transport, all-cause mortality was 10 percent lower, mortality from cardiovascular disease was 21 percent lower, and diagnosed cancer was 12 percent less common. Those who preferred to walk were also less likely to be diagnosed with cancer – seven percent.
Scientists, therefore, have indicated the benefits of more active modes of transportation compared to personal vehicles. At the same time, they also clarified that they were not able to detect the difference in such a connection among people with different socioeconomic status: active movement, according to them, is useful for everyone.
Most often, recommendations for a healthy lifestyle relate to physical health and prevention. However, they can also help the brain: at the end of last year, scientists found that recommendations for the “cores” also help improve memory and attention.
Elizabeth Ivtushok
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