SAN DIEGO – People who were more physically active, including those who did strength training, had significantly reduced risks of cirrhosis-related and liver cancer–related mortality, based on 26 years of prospective data from 113,000 participants in the Nurses Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study.
Adults in the highest quintile of physical activity in the study had a 73% lower risk for cirrhosis-related death than did those in the lowest quintile, according to researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, who presented the study findings at Digestive Disease Week 2019.
One of the researchers, Tracey Simon, MD, MPH, of Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, broke down the major take-home messages from the study in this video interview.
For example, vigorous activity was not necessary to improve hepatic health, she said. Walking for 4 hours per week made a big difference.
Dr. Simon has no relevant financial disclosures.
