Impact of exercise on susceptibility and severity of COVID-19 in patients with cancer: A retrospective study Journal Article
| Authors: | Bliss, J. W.; Lavery, J. A.; Underwood, W. P.; Chun, S. S.; Fickera, G. A.; Lee, C. P.; Corcoran, S.; Maloy, M. A.; Polubriaginof, F. C.; Kelly, D. W.; Scott, J. M.; Boutros, P. C.; Moskowitz, C. S.; Jones, L. W. |
| Article Title: | Impact of exercise on susceptibility and severity of COVID-19 in patients with cancer: A retrospective study |
| Abstract: | Background: Modifiable lifestyle-related factors heighten the risk and severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in patients with cancer. Whether exercise lowers susceptibility or severity is not known. Methods: We identified 944 cancer patients from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (mean age: 64; 85% female; 78% White) completing an exercise survey before receiving a confirmed positive or negative SARS-CoV-2 test. Exercise was defined as reporting moderate-intensity ≥5 days per week, ≥30 minutes/session or strenuous-intensity ≥3 days per week, ≥20 minutes/session. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine the relationship between exercise and COVID-19 susceptibility and severity (i.e., composite of hospital admission or death events) with adjustment for clinical–epidemiologic covariates. Results: Twenty-four percent (230/944) of the overall cohort were diagnosed with COVID-19 and 35% (333/944) were exercisers. During a median follow-up of 10 months, 26% (156/611) of nonexercising patients were diagnosed with COVID-19 compared with 22% (74/333) of exercising patients. The adjusted OR for risk of COVID-19 was 0.65 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.44–0.96, P 1⁄4 0.03] for exercisers compared with nonexercisers. A total of 20% (47/230) of COVID-19 positive patients were hospitalized or died. No difference in the risk of severe COVID-19 as a function of exercise status was observed (P > 0.9). Conclusions: Exercise may reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection in patients with a history of cancer, but not its severity. Impact: This study provides the first data showing that exercise might lower the risk of COVID-19 in cancer patients, but further research is required. © 2022 American Association for Cancer Research |
| Keywords: | middle aged; retrospective studies; neoplasm; neoplasms; exercise; retrospective study; questionnaire; humans; human; male; female; surveys and questionnaires; covid-19; sars-cov-2 |
| Journal Title: | Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention |
| Volume: | 31 |
| Issue: | 5 |
| ISSN: | 1055-9965 |
| Publisher: | American Association for Cancer Research |
| Date Published: | 2022-05-01 |
| Start Page: | 1036 |
| End Page: | 1042 |
| Language: | English |
| DOI: | 10.1158/1055-9965.Epi-21-1186 |
| PUBMED: | 35506245 |
| PROVIDER: | scopus |
| PMCID: | PMC9135110 |
| DOI/URL: | |
| Notes: | Article -- Export Date: 1 June 2022 -- Source: Scopus |
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