QUALITY-OF-LIFE IS NOT NEGATIVELY AFFECTED BY DIET AND EXERCISE INTERVENTION IN HEALTHY-MEN WITH CARDIOVASCULAR RISK-FACTORS

Health-related quality of life was assessed in a diet and exercise intervention study among 157 healthy men aged 35-60 years (mean +/- s.d,; 46.2 +/- 5.0) with moderately raised cardiovascular risk factors, The men were randomized to four groups, diet (D, n = 40), exercise (E, n = 39), diet plus exercise (DE, n = 39), and no active intervention (controls (C) n = 39), Quality of life was measured with two self-administered questionnaires; Subjective Symptoms Assessment Profile and Minor Symptom Evaluation Profile, at baseline and after 1.5, 3 and 6 months, Cardiovascular risk factors were investigated at baseline and after 6 months, As a result of changes in dietary habits and physical exercise in the three intervention groups, several important cardiovascular risk factors were significantly reduced, The quality of life/well-being did not differ between the four groups and did not change significantly in any of the groups during the study. There was, however, a tendency towards fewer gastrointestinal symptoms in group D and fewer cardiac symptoms in group DE. We conclude that advice on lifestyle changes in the form of diet and exercise reduce risk factors in middle-aged men without negative effects on their quality of life.