Physical activity is associated with a lower risk of contracting and dying in infection and sepsis: a Swedish population-based cohort study – Critical Care
Background Sepsis is a condition where the immune response to infection becomes dysregulated and life-threatening. It is not known whether lifestyle factors influence the risk of sepsis. The aim of the present study is to investigate the association between physical activity and the risk of acquiring and dying in infection or sepsis. Methods The population-based Swedish Mammography Cohort and Cohort of Swedish Men sent participants lifestyle questionnaires in 1997 and have subsequently followed participants in national Swedish registers, including the National Patient Register, the Swedish Intensive Care Registry and the Cause of Death Register. The risk of contracting infection and sepsis, the risk of intensive care unit admission and the risk of death were estimated using multivariable Cox regression. Results Among 64,850 cohort participants, 26,124 individuals suffered at least one episode of infection or sepsis and 4708 individuals died of infection or sepsis during the study perio