Physical activity and exercise health benefits: cancer prevention, interception, and survival.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to review the health benefits of walking as a form of physical activity, particularly its role in reducing morbidity and mortality, improving quality of life, and its emerging significance in cancer prevention and management.
Results Summary
Walking is associated with reduced all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality, potential cancer prevention, improved quality of life in cancer patients, and psychological benefits. It also helps mitigate chemotherapy side effects and reduces sarcopenia.
Population
General population, elderly subjects, and cancer patients.
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Physical activity | decrease | all-cause morbidity and death | - | - | reduction of | #1 |
Physical activity | increase | quality of life | - | - | improved | #2 |
Physical activity | increase | bone health | - | - | improved | #3 |
Physical activity | decrease | falls | elderly subjects | - | decreased | #4 |
Physical activity | decrease | depression, anxiety, and sleeplessness | - | - | reduced risk of | #5 |
Regular walking | decrease | all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality | - | - | associated with reduced | #6 |
Physical activity | increase | quality of life | cancer patients | - | improves | #7 |
Physical activity | decrease | side effects of chemotherapy | cancer patients | - | attenuating | #8 |
Physical activity | decrease | sarcopenia | cancer patients | - | decreasing | #9 |
Physical activity | increase | fitness | cancer patients | - | increasing | #10 |
Physical activity | decrease | recurrence and progression of some cancer types | cancer patients | - | inhibiting | #11 |
Physical activity | increase | emotional and psychological benefits | patients | - | promotes | #12 |
Physical activity | decrease | cancer risk | general population | - | recommended to reduce | #13 |
Physical activity (PA) has an established role in the promotion of health and fitness and the prevention of disease. Expected overall benefits include reduction of all-cause morbidity and death, weight control, improved quality of life, improved bone health and decreased falls of elderly subjects, , deeper cognition, and reduced risk of depression, anxiety, and sleeplessness. Currently, PA is a mainstay in the management of cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and bone health. Recently, the perception of its role in primary and secondary prevention, interception, and treatment of cancer, however, is also gaining importance. Regular walking, the simplest type of PA, is associated with reduced all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality, and a role in cancer prevention is of increasing interest. Furthermore, PA improves the quality of life of cancer patients, attenuating side effects of chemotherapy, decreasing sarcopenia, increasing fitness, and inhibiting the recurrence and progression of some cancer types. It promotes emotional and psychological benefits in patients, inducing positive changes. While mechanisms, effective levels and useful amount of PA practice are well established in cardiology, they are yet to be fully determined in oncology. Nevertheless, PA is recommended to reduce cancer risk in the general population, and it has been introduced in programs for the prevention of second cancers. In perspective, it will help as integrative therapy in cancer patients and for cancer survivors. The number of beneficial effects in the cancer continuum is highlighted in this review.