Recent findings in this prospective study of 50,000 Harvard and University of Pennsylvania alumni have linked lifestyles of the 1960's (including physical exercise) with reduction or postponement of cardiovascular disease, leading to extension of longevity. The proposed continuation will determine whether and how these associations have developed with relation to lifestyle trends of the 1970's and 1980's (including the so-called """"""""exercise revolution"""""""" and """"""""cigarette rebellion""""""""). Influences of aging also should be discernable in this extended followup. Thus far some 16,000 alumni have died, 34,000 survivors are aged 53 to 90, and 28,000 respondents have reported on exercise, other lifestyles and health. Resources for observational analyses include: 1) college data from entrance physical examination, social, and athletic records, 1916- 1950; 2) self-assessed mail questionnaire responses from alumni on exercise, other lifestyles, physician-diagnosed disease, and parental disease history, obtained on six occasions, 1962-1980; and 3) death certificates, 1916-date. A projected questionnaire in 1988 wi11 extend information on exercise, other lifestyles, and chronic disease occurrence. This study of college alumni began with a search of student characteristics for early predictors of cardiovascular disease later in life. Next it considered the predictive value of alumni characteristics assessed by questionnaires in the 1960's, for the same outcome. The proposed work will focus on exercise patterns and energy output indices as of the mid 1970's and early 1980's, for relation through 1986 to a) cardiovascular disease mortality, b) all-cause mortality, and c) projected longevity; and through 1988 for d) cardiovascular disease (including hypertension and diabetes) morbidity. A further analysis will assess changing patterns of exercise and other characteristics (e.g., cigarette smoking, body weight-for-height, blood pressure) between the 1960's and 1970's for relationships to those same outcomes. Subsequently we will exmaine lifestyle elements of 1988 for relationships to cardiovascular and all-cause mortality through 1992. These studies should show whether and how a shift from a sedentary to an active lifestyle in mid-life reduces cardiovascular disease risk and extends longevity.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01HL034174-08
Application #
3346870
Study Section
Epidemiology and Disease Control Subcommittee 2 (EDC)
Project Start
1988-07-01
Project End
1994-06-30
Budget Start
1992-07-01
Budget End
1994-06-30
Support Year
8
Fiscal Year
1992
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Stanford University
Department
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
800771545
City
Stanford
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
94305
Lee, I M; Sesso, H D; Paffenbarger Jr, R S (2001) A prospective cohort study of physical activity and body size in relation to prostate cancer risk (United States). Cancer Causes Control 12:187-93
Sesso, H D; Paffenbarger Jr, R S; Lee, I M (2001) Alcohol consumption and risk of prostate cancer: The Harvard Alumni Health Study. Int J Epidemiol 30:749-55
Sesso, H D; Paffenbarger, R S; Lee, I M (2000) Comparison of National Death Index and World Wide Web death searches. Am J Epidemiol 152:107-11
Sesso, H D; Paffenbarger Jr, R S; Lee, I M (2000) Physical activity and coronary heart disease in men: The Harvard Alumni Health Study. Circulation 102:975-80
Lee, I M; Paffenbarger Jr, R S (2000) Associations of light, moderate, and vigorous intensity physical activity with longevity. The Harvard Alumni Health Study. Am J Epidemiol 151:293-9
Lee, I M; Sesso, H D; Paffenbarger Jr, R S (2000) Physical activity and coronary heart disease risk in men: does the duration of exercise episodes predict risk? Circulation 102:981-6
Lee, I M; Sesso, H D; Paffenbarger Jr, R S (1999) Physical activity and risk of lung cancer. Int J Epidemiol 28:620-5
Sesso, H D; Paffenbarger, R S; Ha, T et al. (1999) Physical activity and cardiovascular disease risk in middle-aged and older women. Am J Epidemiol 150:408-16
Cole, S R; Kawachi, I; Sesso, H D et al. (1999) Sense of exhaustion and coronary heart disease among college alumni. Am J Cardiol 84:1401-5
Sahi, T; Paffenbarger Jr, R S; Hsieh, C C et al. (1998) Body mass index, cigarette smoking, and other characteristics as predictors of self-reported, physician-diagnosed gallbladder disease in male college alumni. Am J Epidemiol 147:644-51

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