Roundup: Regular Exercise Linked to Lower Risk of Severe COVID Illness; Smoking and Cognitive Decline at Middle Age, and More News

Study: Being Physically Active Lowers Your Risk of Severe COVID-19

People who were more physically active before being diagnosed with COVID-19 had a significantly lower risk of severe illness, according to a large study by the Kaiser Permanente health system in California. The lower risk even applies to active individuals with underlying chronic health conditions.

Those who were consistently inactive were 191 percent more likely to be hospitalized from COVID, and 391 percent more likely to die, than those who were consistently active, researchers said.

“Patients who were consistently inactive had greater odds of hospitalization, admission to intensive care, and death than patients who were consistently active or engaged in some activity,” states the study. Regular physical activity can reduce the risk of cardiometabolic diseases and premature mortality, improve immune function, and reduce inflammatory responses -- “all of which may explain the consistent associations of physical activity with less severe COVID-19 outcomes,” the study’s authors conclude.

The researchers analyzed electronic health records of 194,191 adult patients at Kaiser Permanente in Southern California who were diagnosed with COVID-19 between January 2020 and May 2021 – before COVID-19 vaccines became widely available.

All patients had reported their levels of physical activity levels in a routine measure known as the Exercise Vital Sign. Each patient fell into one of five categories ranging from always inactive —10 minutes of exercise or less every week, to always active —150 minutes of exercise every week.

The research findings were published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Here’s an overview of recommended physical activity for adults from the American Heart Association:

• Get at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes per week of vigorous aerobic activity, or a combination of both, preferably spread throughout the week.
• Add moderate- to high-intensity muscle-strengthening activity (such as resistance or weights) on at least 2 days per week.
• Spend less time sitting. Even light-intensity activity can offset some of the risks of being sedentary.
• Gain even more benefits by being active at least 300 minutes (5 hours) per week.
• Increase amount and intensity gradually over time.

Researchers: Smoking Linked to Cognitive Decline at '45-59 Age Group'

The health hazards of smoking continue to mount with studies linking the tobacco habit to cognitive decline. The latest research finds that middle-aged smokers are more likely to report having memory loss and confusion than non-smokers.

But there are always advantages to quitting the habit. The risk of cognitive decline is lower for those who have quit smoking, even recently, the researchers also found.

The research from The Ohio State University is considered the first to focus on the association between smoking and cognitive decline. The study team used a one-question self-assessment that asked smokers if they have experienced more severe or more frequent bouts of memory loss and/or confusion.

“The association we saw was most significant in the 45-59 age group, suggesting that quitting at that stage of life may have a benefit for cognitive health,” said Jeffrey Wing, assistant professor of epidemiology, and a senior author of the study.

The findings were based on data from the national 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. The survey enabled researchers to compare subjective cognitive decline (SCD) measures for current smokers, recent former smokers, and those who had quit years earlier. The analysis included 136,018 people 45 and older, and about 11 percent reported SCD.

"The prevalence of SCD among smokers in the study was almost 1.9 times that of nonsmokers," states a news release on the findings published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. "The prevalence among those who had quit less than 10 years ago was 1.5 times that of nonsmokers. Those who quit more than a decade before the survey had an SCD prevalence just slightly above the nonsmoking group."

Cigarette smoking remains the leading preventable cause of disease and death in the U.S. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 30.8 million Americans smoke cigarettes, and more than 480,000 people die from a smoking-related illness each year—meaning smoking causes about 1 in 5 deaths in the United States.

People with ‘Cluster Headaches’ are More Likely to Have Other Medical Conditions, Study Finds

People who suffer from “cluster headaches” may be more than three times more likely to have other underlying conditions such as heart disease, mental disorders and other neurologic diseases, according to a study published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Cluster headaches are uncommon, but they may be confused with common types of headaches such as migraines, sinus headaches, and tension headaches. Cluster headaches are short -- but extremely painful – and can occur regularly over many days, or even weeks. The headaches can last anywhere from 15 minutes to three hours, says the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

They usually occur as one-sided head pain that may involve tearing of the eyes, a droopy eyelid, and a stuffy nose. Attacks last from 15 minutes to 3 hours. The attacks are separated by pain-free periods that last at least 1 month or longer, the NIH states.

The study by Swedish scientists involved 3,240 people with cluster headaches ranging in age from 16 to 64. They were compared to 16,200 people of similar age, sex and other factors. The majority were men, which is common with cluster headaches. Among those with cluster headaches, 92 percent, or 2,977 people, had at least one additional illness. Of those without cluster headaches, 78 percent, or 12,575 people, had two or more illnesses.

"Our results show that people with cluster headaches not only have an increased risk of other illnesses, those with at least one additional illness missed four times as many days of work due to sickness and disability than those with just cluster headaches,” states study author Caroline Ran, Ph.D., of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. “They also have a higher chance of a long-term absence from work."

Cluster headaches can occur at any age, but are most common in the 20s through middle age, and they tend to run in families, states the NIH.