Fitness in Middle Age Lowers Risk for Future Chronic Disease Emma Hitt, PhD

Yep.

Staying fit during middle age is associated with a decreased risk of developing chronic diseases, such as diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, and heart disease, during the next several years, a new study suggests.

Benjamin L. Willis, MD, MPH, from the Cooper Institute at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, and colleagues, reported the findings in an article published online August 27 in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

According to the researchers, "physical activity...likely represents an important determinant of healthy aging," but "studies have reported inconsistent results," and the "incremental contribution of [physical activity] to healthy aging beyond other healthy lifestyle characteristics remains unclear."

"To our knowledge, the association between midlife fitness and healthy aging has not been reported," they write. "[W]e hypothesized that higher midlife fitness levels would be strongly associated with healthy aging as defined by a low burden of chronic condition...outcomes," Dr. Willis and colleagues write.

Their knowledge must be lacking.

We told them so years ago.