Active men cut cancer death risk

Published on Tuesday 27 May 2008 22:41

ACTIVE men are less likely to die from cancer than couch potatoes, new research has shown.

Men who take regular moderate exercise have a 34 per cent lower chance of being killed by cancer than those who do not, say scientists.

Researchers in Sweden monitored the health and physical activity levels of 40,708 men aged 45 and 79 for seven years. During that time, 3,714 of the participants developed cancer and 1,153 died from their disease. The findings, published in the British Journal of Cancer, showed that exercise had a significant influence on cancer survival and a smaller impact on incidence.

Men who walked or cycled at least 30 minutes a day were 34 per cent less likely to die from cancer than men who exercised less or did nothing at all. The same activities only led to a 5 per cent reduction in cancer rates, a result which could be due to chance.

However, a more intensive programme of walking and cycling for between an hour and an hour and a half a day was associated with a 16 per cent lower incidence of cancer.

The study's authors said the results showed the benefits of simple, basic daily exercise.