A physically active lifestyle is associated with lower long-term incidence of bipolar disorder in a population-based, large-scale study
Svensson, Martina LU
; Erhardt, Sophie
; Hållmarker, Ulf
; James, Stefan
and Deierborg, Tomas
LU
(2022)
In International journal of bipolar disorders
10(1).
- Abstract
Background: Physical activity has been proposed to be beneficial for the symptomatic control of bipolar disorder, but the duration of the effects, sex-specific mechanisms, and impact of exercise intensity are not known. Method: With an observational study design, we followed skiers and age and sex-matched non-skiers from the general population to investigate if participation in a long-distance cross-country ski race (Vasaloppet) was associated with a lower risk of getting diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Using the Swedish population and patient registries, skiers in Vasaloppet and age and sex-matched non-skiers from the general population were analyzed for any diagnosis of bipolar disorder after participation in the race. Additionally,... (More)
Background: Physical activity has been proposed to be beneficial for the symptomatic control of bipolar disorder, but the duration of the effects, sex-specific mechanisms, and impact of exercise intensity are not known. Method: With an observational study design, we followed skiers and age and sex-matched non-skiers from the general population to investigate if participation in a long-distance cross-country ski race (Vasaloppet) was associated with a lower risk of getting diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Using the Swedish population and patient registries, skiers in Vasaloppet and age and sex-matched non-skiers from the general population were analyzed for any diagnosis of bipolar disorder after participation in the race. Additionally, we used finishing time of the ski race as a proxy for intensity levels to investigate if exercise intensity impacts the risk of bipolar disorder among the physically active skiers. Results: Previous participation in a long distance ski race (n = 197,685, median age 36 years, 38% women) was associated with a lower incidence of newly diagnosed bipolar compared to an age and sex-matched general population (n = 197,684) during the up to 21 years follow-up (adjusted hazard ratio, HR = 0.48). The finishing time of the race did not significantly impact the risk of bipolar disorder in men. Among women, high performance (measured as the finishing time to complete the race, a proxy for higher exercise dose) was associated with an increased risk of bipolar disorder compared to slower skiing women (HR = 2.07). Conclusions: Our results confirm that a physically active lifestyle is associated with a lower risk of developing bipolar disorder. Yet, to elucidate the direction of causality in this relationship requires complementary study designs. And the influence of physical performance level on the risk of bipolar disorder warrants further examinations among women.
(Less)
- author
- Svensson, Martina
LU
; Erhardt, Sophie
; Hållmarker, Ulf
; James, Stefan
and Deierborg, Tomas
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2022-12
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Exercise, Long-term effect, Men, Mental health, Psychiatric disorder, Women
- in
- International journal of bipolar disorders
- volume
- 10
- issue
- 1
- article number
- 26
- publisher
- Springer
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85140992678
- pmid:36316595
- ISSN
- 2194-7511
- DOI
- 10.1186/s40345-022-00272-6
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 28010070-284b-43d3-8f20-7850b71c219c
- date added to LUP
- 2022-12-05 13:57:08
- date last changed
- 2025-06-28 09:41:53
@article{28010070-284b-43d3-8f20-7850b71c219c,
abstract = {{<p>Background: Physical activity has been proposed to be beneficial for the symptomatic control of bipolar disorder, but the duration of the effects, sex-specific mechanisms, and impact of exercise intensity are not known. Method: With an observational study design, we followed skiers and age and sex-matched non-skiers from the general population to investigate if participation in a long-distance cross-country ski race (Vasaloppet) was associated with a lower risk of getting diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Using the Swedish population and patient registries, skiers in Vasaloppet and age and sex-matched non-skiers from the general population were analyzed for any diagnosis of bipolar disorder after participation in the race. Additionally, we used finishing time of the ski race as a proxy for intensity levels to investigate if exercise intensity impacts the risk of bipolar disorder among the physically active skiers. Results: Previous participation in a long distance ski race (n = 197,685, median age 36 years, 38% women) was associated with a lower incidence of newly diagnosed bipolar compared to an age and sex-matched general population (n = 197,684) during the up to 21 years follow-up (adjusted hazard ratio, HR = 0.48). The finishing time of the race did not significantly impact the risk of bipolar disorder in men. Among women, high performance (measured as the finishing time to complete the race, a proxy for higher exercise dose) was associated with an increased risk of bipolar disorder compared to slower skiing women (HR = 2.07). Conclusions: Our results confirm that a physically active lifestyle is associated with a lower risk of developing bipolar disorder. Yet, to elucidate the direction of causality in this relationship requires complementary study designs. And the influence of physical performance level on the risk of bipolar disorder warrants further examinations among women.</p>}},
author = {{Svensson, Martina and Erhardt, Sophie and Hållmarker, Ulf and James, Stefan and Deierborg, Tomas}},
issn = {{2194-7511}},
keywords = {{Exercise; Long-term effect; Men; Mental health; Psychiatric disorder; Women}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{1}},
publisher = {{Springer}},
series = {{International journal of bipolar disorders}},
title = {{A physically active lifestyle is associated with lower long-term incidence of bipolar disorder in a population-based, large-scale study}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s40345-022-00272-6}},
doi = {{10.1186/s40345-022-00272-6}},
volume = {{10}},
year = {{2022}},
}