Study: Walking and strength exercises reduce the risk of death from liver disease

Health and Medical

Physical activity, including walking and muscle strengthening activities, was associated with a significant reduction in death risk associated with liver cirrhosis, according to research presented at the Gastroenterology Conference DDW]].

According to the US medical site "MedicalXpress", Researchers from Harvard University have shown that chronic liver disease is increasing, partly because of the obesity epidemic, and there are currently no guidelines on the optimal type of exercise to prevent liver-related deaths.

The researchers hope these findings help provide specific exercise recommendations for patients at risk of cirrhosis and its complications.

"Exercise is not a new concept, but the impact of exercise on deaths from liver cirrhosis and liver cancer has not yet been explored," said Tracy Simon, a senior researcher and medical instructor at Harvard School.

"Our results show that walking and strength training contribute to significant reductions in death risk associated with liver cirrhosis, which is important because we know very little about adjustable risk factors," Simon said.

Dr. Simon and her team followed 68449 women from the Nurses' Health Study and 48,748 health professionals with liver disease.

Participants provided very accurate data on physical activity, including type and intensity, and all the years 1986 to 2012, which gave researchers a future examination of the relationship between physical activity and death associated with liver cirrhosis.

The adults observed weekly walking or strength training had a 73 percent lower risk of death associated with cirrhosis than those who lived in comfort and did not walk.

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