People in their 70s can likely lower their risk of stroke and heart attack with regular moderate exercise such as walking, according to a Tufts study, which provides some of the first evidence that continuing to exercise as we age really does make a difference.
The cause of nearly a third of all deaths, cardiovascular disease is the number-one killer worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. In the United States, more than a third of all adults have some form of the disease, including about half of people over age 60.
“If you’re more active, you’re going to do better—especially with respect to heart and brain health,” says Dariush Mozaffarian, dean of the Friedman School, who led the study, which was published online in November 2015 in the journal Circulation. “It reassures people that even after age 75, being active can make a big difference.”