Taking public transportation instead of driving linked with better health

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-11/aha-tpt103015.php

Public Release: 8-Nov-2015
Taking public transportation instead of driving linked with better health
American Heart Association Meeting Report Abstract 15214 (Poster S 2034, Hall A2)
American Heart Association

Riding the bus or train to work is associated with a lower risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, and being overweight, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2015.

While it's already established that a physically active lifestyle helps reduce the likelihood of diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity, it is unclear whether these risk factors for heart disease and stroke are affected by how you get to work.

A Japanese study compared bus/train commuters, walkers/bikers and drivers and adjusted for other factors such as age, gender, smoking, and others. Compared to drivers, public transportation users were:

44 percent less likely to be overweight;

27 percent less likely to have high blood pressure; and

34 percent less likely to have diabetes.

Interestingly, the bus/train commuters had even lower rates of diabetes, high blood pressure and overweight than the walkers or bikers. The researchers suggested that one explanation could be that these commuters actually walked farther to and from the train or bus station than walkers or bikers traveled to and from work.

•••••