• Songtao Lu, Zhiqi Shuai, and Yunfei Lu.
• School of Sports and School of Physical Education, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
• Medicine (Baltimore). 2024 May 24; 103 (21): e38220e38220.

BackgroundDeaths from COVID-19 are concentrated in older adults, and studies have reported that physical activity (PA) can reduce the risk of death from pneumonia.MethodsEight cohort studies and 2 case-control studies were included according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria established in this meta-analysis study followed the PRISMA guideline, 8 cohort studies and 2 case-control studies were finally included. Then, the research objects in these studies were classified to further study the dose-response relationship and non-dose-response relationship.ResultsThe highest dose of PA reduced the risk of death by 59% (risk ratio = 0.41; 95% confidence interval: 0.23-0.58) compared with the lowest dose of PA in middle-aged and elderly people. Furthermore, when the PA level was <10 m/wk, the risk of death from pneumonia was reduced by 6% every 4.5 MET-h/wk increase. At a PA level > 10 m/wk, the risk of death from pneumonia increased by 5% every 4.5 MET-h/wk increase. At a PA level > 30 m/wk, PA is a risk factor for pneumonia-related death in middle-aged and elderly people.ConclusionsThis meta-analysis showed that PA was associated with a reduced risk of dying from pneumonia in middle-aged and older adults, and that there was a significant nonlinear negative dose-response relationship between PA levels and the risk of dying from pneumonia. Therefore, moderate exercise was recommended.Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.

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