85% lower risk of death in lung cancer "smokers" who are "fit"
/Lung cancer remains the most common cancer worldwide, affecting more than 2 million people across the globe.
Smoking is the biggest risk factor for lung cancer and is the main culprit behind the majority of lung cancer cases.
A new study published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine revealed that there is a direct and inverse relationship between cardiovascular fitness and the occurrence and risk of death from lung cancer among smokers.
The researchers followed almost 3000 men over a 11 year period. These men were smokers or former smokers. 99 of those men developed lung cancer.
They tracked how much exercise these men did during those 11 years, and the results were very interesting:
Among the smokers who developed lung cancer: risk of death was reduced by 85% in those with moderate or high levels of fitness.
Among smokers who developed lung cancer: each 1 additional MET on a treadmill test resulted in an 18% lower risk of death (here is a list of MET for various activities).
Among smokers without lung cancer: risk of developing lung cancer was reduced by 51%-77% in those with moderate or high levels of fitness.
Among smokers without lung cancer: each 1 additional MET on a treadmill test results in an 13% lower chance of developing lung cancer.
So no matter your current level of fitness, every additional level of fitness you achieve dramatically reduces your risk of death from lung cancer even if you smoke (or used to smoke).
It’s never too late to start your fitness program.
