NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Chinese men and women over 70 years of age who exercise moderately and have never smoked cigarettes are less likely to die within a 3-year period than elderly people with less healthy lifestyles, researchers report.

"A healthy lifestyle has benefits, even in the old-old population," study author Dr. Jean Woo, a professor of medicine at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, told Reuters Health. "Elderly adults should get at least 20 minutes of daily activity, avoid smoking and drink alcohol in moderation."

The investigators examined whether lifestyle factors such as exercise, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption and diet affected mortality among elderly people.

"The question is, among elderly people aged 70 years and over, is a healthy lifestyle still important?" Woo noted. "Few studies examine this relationship in the old-old population."

Woo and colleagues recruited more than 2,000 Chinese adults, average age 80, and evaluated their physical activity, dietary habits, alcohol consumption and smoking. Study participants' physical activity was classified based on whether they exercised for up to 20 minutes a day or more than 20 minutes a day. Moderate alcohol use was defined as having two drinks or less a week.

The researchers followed the elderly adults for 3 years. The findings are published in the journal Gerontology.

About 30% of participants died over the course of the study. However, those with any daily physical activity and those who had never smoked were less likely to die, even after taking age into account, the report indicates.

Moderate drinking did not affect mortality, but the study participants who drank moderately were more likely to perceive themselves as being healthy.

The types of exercise reported included morning walks and Tai Chi. Woo noted that even this gentle activity helped reduce mortality.

"Since the level of physical activity shown to be beneficial is only moderate and, therefore, achievable by the majority of the population, the findings of this study have important public health implications," Woo and colleagues conclude.

SOURCE: Gerontology 2002;48:234-240.

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