Longevity & AgingBetter Fitness Cuts Mortality Risk by 67% in Kidney Disease Patients
A prospective study of 45,674 US veterans with chronic kidney disease (CKD) found that better cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), measured by treadmill testing, was strongly linked to lower mortality. Over nearly 16 years, 53% of participants died. Each one-MET improvement in fitness reduced mortality risk by 12%. Compared to the least-fit patients, the fittest group had a 67% lower risk of death. Crucially, this protective pattern held across all ages, races, and sexes. The findings suggest that improving physical fitness should be a central therapeutic target in CKD management, potentially offering one of the most powerful tools available to extend survival in this high-risk population.
