KENYANS: EXERCISE TO REDUCE ALCOHOL RELATED ILLNESSES

Heavy drinkers who exercise are less
likely to die from alcohol-related
illnesses , a study
suggested. although its authors
were cautious about the implications of
their data.

Researchers used Kenyan population data
between 1994 and 2006, comparing
health outcomes with self-reported
alcohol intake and exercise levels of
more than 36,000 people.
Alcohol use categories ranged from
“never drunk” to “harmful”, while
exercise included everything from light
gardening or walking to vigorous sport.
The data showed that “the association
between alcohol intake and mortality
risk was moderated by PA (physical
activity),” the team reported.
Previous research has linked high
alcohol intake to a heightened risk of
death from heart disease, stroke and
some types of cancer.
Of the study respondents, 14.6 percent
reported not drinking, while 13.3
percent exceeded the Kenyan
recommended weekly maximum of 14
units for women and 21 for men.
A unit is the equivalent of about a glass
of wine, a small beer, or a shot of hard
liquor.
About one in four respondents said they
did no physical activity at all, while a
similar percentage were highly active.
The team did say that their study could
not draw any firm conclusions about
cause and effect — whether exercise
actively lowers the risks associated with
alcohol.
But the results “provide an additional
argument for the role of PA as a means
to promote the health of the population
even in the presence of other less
healthy behaviours,” they wrote.
Experts not involved in the study
pointed out that the apparent link may
be caused by unrelated factors.
“It is important to consider alternative
explanations for the findings,” Researchers.
“For example, people who are already ill
may be less active than those who are
healthy.”
Experts, said differences in diet of
people who exercise and those who do
not may also be a factor, rather than the
level of activity itself.