Table 3

Muscle strengthening and aerobic exercise associated with all-cause and cause-specific mortality with and without mutual adjustment (HR and 95% CIs)

All-cause mortality HR (95% CI)CVD mortality HR (95% CI)Cancer mortality HR (95% CI)
Deaths (n)Model AModel A+MVPA*Model AModel A+MVPAModel AModel A+MVPA
Weightlifting
Yes (vs no)
38350.79 (0.76 to 0.81)0.91 (0.88 to 0.94)0.76 (0.76 to 0.80)0.91 (0.86 to 0.97)0.85 (0.80 to 0.91)0.96 (0.90 to 1.02)
Weightlifting frequency
 Never22 0861.00 (ref)1.00 (ref)1.00 (ref)1.00 (ref)1.00 (ref)1.00 (ref)
 Less than once/month3000.82 (0.74 to 0.92)0.84 (0.76 to 0.94)0.84 (0.70 to 1.03)0.86 (0.71 to 1.05)0.88 (0.72 to 1.07)0.91 (0.75 to 1.11)
 One to three times/month8740.80 (0.75 to 0.85)0.85 (0.79 to 0.91)0.82 (0.73 to 0.92)0.89 (0.79 to 0.99)0.80 (0.71 to 0.90)0.85 (0.75 to 0.96)
 One to two times/week17120.76 (0.73 to 0.80)0.86 (0.82 to 0.91)0.73 (0.97 to 0.79)0.85 (0.78 to 0.93)0.88 (0.81 to 0.96)0.97 (0.89 to 1.06)
 Three to 7+times/week21230.79 (0.75 to 0.82)0.93 (0.89 to 0.98)0.76 (0.71 to 0.82)0.95 (0.88 to 1.03)0.81 (0.75 to 0.88)0.93 (0.85 to 1.01)
 Per unit increase in weightlifting category0.93 (0.92 to 0.94)0.97 (0.96 to 0.98)0.92 (0.91 to 0.94)0.97 (0.96 to 0.99)0.95 (0.93 to 0.96)0.98 (0.96 to 0.99)
 P for trend<0.0001<0.0001<0.00010.002<0.00010.03
MVPA groups
    None
    Some
    Meets
    Exceeds
11 203
9574
5365
1788
1.00 (ref)
0.76 (0.74 to 0.78)
0.68 (0.65 to 0.70)
0.66 (0.63 to 0.70)
1.00 (ref)
0.73 (0.69 to 0.77)
0.65 (0.62 to 0.69)
0.65 (0.60 to 0.71)
1.00 (ref)
0.78 (0.74 to 0.82)
0.70 (0.66 to 0.75)
0.70 (0.64 to 0.77)
  • Weighted estimates to the whole cohort are presented.

  • Model A adjusted for age at follow-up questionnaire, sex, education, smoking, alcohol intake, current body mass index category, race and number of comorbidities.

  • *These results include covariates from model A plus each group of aerobic activity guidelines (inactive 0 min of activity, insufficient 1–149 min of activity, meets guidelines 150–300 min of activity, highly active >301 minutes of activity).

  • CVD, cardiovascular disease; MVPA, moderate–vigorous physical activity.