A groundbreaking study reveals that a 30-second survey can identify individuals at risk of over a dozen chronic diseases, including cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. The simple questionnaire asks two questions about physical activity: the number of days and minutes spent engaging in moderate to vigorous exercise per week.
According to researchers, those who answered the least often were found to be at a significantly higher risk of developing 19 chronic conditions, despite other factors such as smoking status or body mass index (BMI) being taken into account. The study used responses from over 7,000 patients and found that those meeting the CDC’s recommended 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week were up to one-third less likely to have these conditions.
The survey is designed to be short and non-intrusive, taking fewer than 30 seconds to complete, making it an ideal tool for doctors to identify inactive patients during annual check-ups. The researchers believe that this simple survey could help doctors connect inactive patients with supportive services such as exercise prescriptions and community health specialists. The study’s findings also highlighted the importance of incorporating physical activity into daily routines, with only one in four Americans meeting the recommended strength training and aerobic exercise targets.
Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-14244711/30-second-survey-reveals-risk-19-diseases.html