Can exercise training prevent premature death in elderly?

"Generation 100 will determine whether exercise training leads to more active and healthier years, and will establish reference values for several important measures such as fitness level, daily physical activity, muscle strength, pulmonary function, cognitive function, "mental health", quality of life and balance", says Dr. Dorthe Stensvold, Postdoctor at K. G. Jebsen Center for Exercise in Medicine - Cardiac Exercise Research Group (CERG) and leader of the study.

Participant inclusion started in 2012, and by May 2013 a total of 1567 participants had been included into the study. The participants were randomized to either five years of twice weekly sessions of high intensity training, moderate intensity training, or to a control group receiving current physical activity advice. Clinical examinations, physical tests, and questionnaires were administered to all participants at baseline and after one year, and will be repeated after three and five years. Participants will be followed up by linking to 10 relevant registries.

Owing to worldwide increasing longevity, the world population is rapidly ageing. It has been estimated that the proportion of people aged 60 years and older will double from about 11% in 2000 to 22% in 2050, and the age group 65 years and older will, for first time, outnumber children under the age of 5 by 2017. In Norway, life expectancy in women and men is predicted to increase by 10 years from 83 and 79 years, respectively, over the next 80 years. Future demands for healthcare services depend on illness and disability in the older population. Active ageing is a term used by WHO to describe "the process of optimizing opportunities for health, participation and security, in order to enhance quality of life and wellbeing as people ag", and includes delay of senescence and compression of morbidity and mortality. With societal expectances of an increasing older population, interventions that compress years with disability alongside increased life expectancy are warranted.

"Epidemiological studies suggest that exercise has a tremendous preventative effect on morbidity and premature death, but these findings need to be confirmed by randomized clinical trials", Dr. Stensvold says.

The ageing process is characterised by functional and physiological changes, and includes a decline in activity, mobility, maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) and muscle mass. In addition, the risk of most diseases, including type 2 diabetes, pulmonary diseases, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and mental disorders such as depression and dementia, all increases with age. Physical activity and social engagement have been emphasised as important pathways to improve and maintain health in the elderly. It has been shown that older people who report being inactive reach a disability threshold (defined as needing help from another person to carry out several daily-life activities) 14 years earlier than those who report being highly active. Importantly, becoming physically active even in older age seems to provide health benefits.