The higher your pre-pandemic level of physical activity, the lower your odds of developing COVID-19 and being hospitalized.

In a recent study published in JAMA network open, researchers investigated a possible link between pre-pandemic activity levels and the likelihood of developing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and being hospitalized among American adults aged 45 and older. investigated. Their findings indicate that being more physically active may have a protective effect on developing COVID-19 or severe COVID-19.

background

Research suggests that physical activity (PA) reduces the risk of developing many health conditions, including cardiovascular disease (CVD), type 2 diabetes, and cancer, as well as mortality from these causes. . Scientists believe that PA is beneficial because it slows the natural immunosenescence that occurs with age, reduces systemic inflammation, and boosts immunity.

A major gap in this body of research is the protective role that PA plays with respect to infectious diseases such as coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Being physically active may have benefits by increasing neutrophil and natural killer cell activity and modulating inflammatory processes.

It may also optimize stress responses and improve neurocognitive function. Another mechanism by which protection works is through an increase in the salivary antibody immunoglobulin A.

Some studies have found that people who are more physically active may have less severe illness from COVID-19 and be less likely to be hospitalized, admitted to intensive care, or die. No studies have evaluated whether these findings apply to older adults. This has public health implications, as age is known to be a risk factor for developing severe COVID-19 infection.

About research

In the study, researchers tracked American adults aged 45 and older who reported PA levels before the pandemic and collected information on their infections and hospitalizations. They hypothesized that more active adults would be less likely to become infected or hospitalized.

PA levels were assessed by asking respondents to report how many minutes per week they spent on activities such as running, jogging, walking, and aerobic exercise in the previous year. They were also asked to record the number of stairs they climbed each day.

In the follow-up survey, individuals were asked to provide information about coronavirus risk factors, symptoms, testing and diagnosis, treatment, and severity of the disease. Those who did not report PA levels before the pandemic were excluded.

Social and demographic variables such as age, race, ethnicity, gender, education, and income were collected. Lifestyle-related risk factors such as alcohol intake and smoking status were also included. Medical history and self-reported weight and height were also examined.

Data analysis included statistical tests, multivariate logistic regression models to estimate odds ratios for infection and hospitalization, and sensitivity analyses.

Investigation result

The study’s cohort included 61,557 people. At the end of 2019, the average age of the cohort was 75.7 years, and nearly 71% were women. Just over 20% of respondents said they were inactive, and 68.5% said they were sufficiently active based on activity guidelines. Nearly 90% of respondents were non-Hispanic white and 7.5% were black or African American. Non-smokers and people with higher income and education levels were more likely to be sufficiently physically active.

A follow-up survey revealed that 5,890 people were diagnosed with the new coronavirus and 626 were hospitalized. Regardless of which controls were used, regression models showed that people with sufficiently high PA levels were significantly less likely to be infected and hospitalized than those who reported being inactive. I understand.

Subgroup analyzes revealed that these results were likely driven by the benefits of PA for women rather than men. However, there was no significant difference in risk for those who were insufficiently active and those who were inactive.

conclusion

These findings demonstrate that insufficient PA confers no benefit regarding COVID-19 infection or hospitalization. Adequate levels of activity are necessary to prevent severe infections and hospitalization.

Another interesting finding is that women may benefit more from being physically active than men. This may be due to physiological differences between the sexes in the respiratory system. However, as male sex has been identified as a risk factor for severe COVID-19, future studies will examine short-term and long-term outcomes in this and other groups. need to be considered.

The authors noted several limitations to the results, including that the sample may have been affected by volunteer bias and that the initial sample likely included sufficiently active people. Did. Inaccuracy of information is also a common problem with self-reported data.

The incidence of COVID-19 may be underestimated because some cases are asymptomatic. Another issue was that PA levels may have changed during the pandemic, but this was not taken into account. Further research is needed to validate and strengthen these findings.