Counteracting Smoking Effects with Physical Activities

New studies revealed that smokers who exercise are less likely to develop a serious lung ailment common to this group, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The article appears in the March issue of The American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

For the study, Dr. Judith Garcia Aymerich of the Municipal Institute of Medical Research in Barcelona,
Spain, and her colleagues followed the health of 6,800 people, smokers and nonsmokers, over 11 years. Of these, 928 developed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease , which killed more than 10,000 Americans in 2003, the researchers said.

The study found that among the smokers, the disease occurred about 20 percent less in those who reported moderate or high level of exercise.

The study concludes that "regular physical activity could counteract the smoking effects through an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant mechanism."

[Source: The New York Times - Science Times]