Leisure time physical activity and disease-specific mortality among men with chronic bronchitis: evidence from the Whitehall study.

Abstract

This study examined the association between leisure time physical activity and cause-specific mortality among male Whitehall Study participants with chronic bronchitis. Rate ratios were calculated for 4 mortality outcomes, according to level of activity and baseline bronchitis status, in a 25-year follow-up of 6479 men. After multiple adjustment for potential confounding or mediating variables, activity was inversely related to all-cause, cardiovascular, coronary heart disease, and noncardiovascular mortality among men free of chronic bronchitis. Among men with bronchitis, weak, nonsignificant positive associations were observed between activity and these outcomes, with the exception of noncardiovascular mortality. The suggestion of a positive activity-mortality association among individuals with chronic bronchitis-albeit weak and nonsignificant-requires further investigation.