Aerobic activity linked to fewer pneumonia and COVID-19 deaths
High activity was linked to lower pneumonia and COVID-19 mortality than inactivity, with relative-hazard measures of 0.554 and 0.520, respectively, accounting for other causes of death.
Limit: Greater physiological reserve could explain both higher activity and lower pneumonia mortality
Edited by Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
Researchers studied 116,563 adults in South Korea with clinically confirmed mild cognitive impairment or dementia, conditions that affect memory and thinking. This nationwide observational study used existing records, linking dementia-registry entries from 2016–2021 to health-screening and death records.
Over an average follow-up of 3.4 years, 5,022 participants (4.31%) died. Low, moderate and high aerobic activity were each associated with lower overall mortality than inactivity. High activity was associated with lower pneumonia and COVID-19 mortality. The relative-hazard measures accounted for deaths from other causes; values below 1 indicated lower mortality. The pneumonia association held across all activity levels after the researchers accounted for testing multiple comparisons.
Why it matters
Pneumonia is a major cause of death in dementia. The findings suggest that achievable activity goals may merit testing as part of supportive care for adults with cognitive impairment.
Caveats
The observational design cannot establish causality: activity may also reflect a greater ability to cope with physical strain. The researchers called for confirmation using repeated, objective activity measurements.
The paper
CHA University School of Medicine
GeroScience, Oct 24, 2026
