You can walk or run away from cataracts

http://www.healthnewsobserver.com/articles/detail/you-can-walk-or-run-away-from-cataracts Improved cardiovascular health has been shown to decrease the risk of developing cataracts. This week, in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, researchers compared vigorous (running) and moderate (walking) exercise to the risk of developing cataracts in a group of 32,610 runners and 14,917 walkers enrolled in the National Runners’ and Walker’s Health studies over a 6 year time period. The authors estimated the baseline energy expenditure as metabolic equivalents (METs) for runners and walkers. Typical METs range from 1 at rest, to 3.6 if walking 3.4 miles per hour, to 7 if jogging, to 23 for a world class runner running at a 4:17 mile pace or 14 miles per hour. During the follow up, 733 runners and 1,074 walkers developed cataracts. Compared to those who expended < 1.8 MET hours/day, the risk of cataracts was 16.4% lower for those who expended 1.8 to 3.6 MET hours per day, 19% lower at 3.6 to 5.4 MET hours per day, 26% lower at 5.4 to 7.2 MET hours per day, 34% lower at 7.2 to 9 MET hours/day, and 42% lower at > 9 MET hours per day.

Cataracts are a clouding of the lens within the eye that decreases vision. This is primarily a disease of aging with half of all Americans having a cataract by age 65. Other risk factors include diabetes, smoking, alcohol use, elevated lipids, obesity, and prolonged exposure to sunlight. Now, it appears that lack of exercise may be a risk factor.

While it is difficult to pull out exactly how much running or walking took place each week by participants in this study, it is clear that both running and walking regularly decrease the risk of developing cataracts. The authors concluded that it didn't matter if you ran or walk. The reduction in the risk of developing cataracts was the same. So, you truly can walk or run away from your cataracts.