MRC Epidemiology Unit
Cambridge researchers have developed a method for measuring overall fitness accurately on wearable devices – and more robustly than current consumer smartwatches and fitness monitors – without the wearer needing to do an exercise test. VO2max is the capacity of the body to carry out aerobic work and a key measurement of overall fitness, is […]
Wearable device study in 88,000 people shows the heart health benefits of more intense physical activity
Increasing physical activity of any intensity is beneficial for health, but new research published today in the European Heart Journal shows that there is a greater reduction in cardiovascular disease risk when more of that activity is of at least moderate intensity. The study, led by researchers at the University of Cambridge and University of […]
Reducing TV viewing to less than one hour a day could help prevent more than one in ten cases of coronary heart disease
Watching too much TV is associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease regardless of an individual’s genetic makeup, say a team of scientists at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge and the University of Hong Kong. In a study published today in BMC Medicine, the researchers show that – assuming […]
Largest ever study using wearable devices finds physical activity is beneficial for health, and more intense activity is better
Physical activity of any intensity is beneficial for health, but more intense activity has greater benefits, according to a new study published today in Nature Medicine. In the largest study to date of accelerometer-measured physical activity, a team led by MRC Epidemiology Unit researchers analysed data from more than 96,000 UK Biobank participants. Current physical […]
Physical activity prevents almost four million early deaths worldwide each year
At least 3.9 million early deaths are being averted worldwide every year by people being physically active, according to a new study published in The Lancet Global Health today by researchers at the Universities of Cambridge and Edinburgh. The team behind the study argue that too often we focus on the negative health consequences of […]
Sedentary behaviour interventions in real-world conditions: what are the health benefits?
Today’s post comes from Dr Paddy Dempsey and colleagues, describing their new paper “Effects of sedentary behaviour interventions on biomarkers of cardiometabolic risk in adults: systematic review with meta-analyses”, which is available open access. You can find more about the authors at the bottom of this post. In recent years, interventions to reduce sedentary behaviour in […]
Keeping active or becoming more active in middle and older age linked to longer life
Meeting minimum public health recommendations could prevent nearly one in two deaths linked to physical inactivity Keeping physically active or becoming more active during middle and older age is associated with a lower risk of death, regardless of past activity levels or existing health conditions, suggests a large UK study published today by The BMJ. […]
Incorporating active travel into long commutes is associated with reduced body fat
Encouraging more active travel (walking and cycling for transport) is one promising approach to prevent obesity and related diseases. In this study, published online in Preventive Medicine, we looked at the relationship between active travel to and from work and body fatness. What we did We used data from 7,500 people living in Cambridgeshire who […]
UK Biobank announce availability of world’s largest objective physical activity dataset
UK Biobank, together with scientists from the MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Oxford, Newcastle University, University of Salford, and University of London, today announced the release of objective physical activity data recorded from over 100,000 UK adults. The dataset, described in a paper published today in PLOS ONE, is the largest of its kind to […]
“Some is good, more is better”: Regular exercise can cut your diabetes risk
Walking briskly or cycling for the recommended 150 minutes a week can reduce a person’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes by up to 26%, according to new research by scientists at the University of Cambridge and University College London. People who carry out an hour of moderate to vigorous exercise every day can reduce […]