HHS HealthBeat (May 25, 2006)

Poor shape

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I'm Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

Being in poor physical shape is bad enough. But your health may be worse if you are in poor shape and actually poor – low on the socio-economic scale.

Dr. Michael Lauer of the Cleveland Clinic looked at exercise stress tests – treadmill tests that assess how fit someone is and how well his or her heart works. Lauer also looked at risk of death. His study in the Journal of the American Medical Association was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

"Poorer people who are in poor physical shape have double the risk of dying as wealthy people who are in poorer physical shape." (seven seconds)

It's another reason to keep active.

Lauer says the poor seem to be under more stress anyway, because of the pressures in their lives. He says they need more opportunities to be active.

Learn more at www.hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I'm Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: August, 15 2006