Cycling halves risk of cancer
Heart & cancer dangers plunge
CYCLING to work can slash the risk of developing cancer or heart disease by almost half, research suggests.
The major study also found pedal power could cut the risk of dying prematurely by 41%.
Those who walk to work experience major health benefits too, but not to the same degree as people using their bike, experts found.
Dr Carlos Celis-Morales, from the University of Glasgow which carried out the research, said: “This may be because walkers commuted shorter distances than cyclists, typically six miles per week, compared with 30 miles per week and walking is generally a lower intensity of exercise than cycling.”
The study found that compared with driving or taking public transport, cycling to work is linked to a 45% lower risk of developing cancer. It was 46% for cardiovascular disease.
There were also some health advantages to cycling part of a journey. Dr Jason Gill, from the university, urged the government to make it easier for people to commute by bike, including creating more cycle lanes and bike hire schemes.
He said it would generate “major opportunities for public health improvement”.
Researchers found that walking to work was associated with a 27% lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease and a 36% lower risk of dying from it. But it did not significantly reduce the likelihood of getting cancer or dying early.
The 264,000 people who were studied were aged 52 on average at the start of the five-year probe.
Almost 2,500 of them died during this time, with around half being killed by cancer. Overall, 3,748 people developed the condition in the five years. Nearly 500 deaths were related to heart disease.