A systematic review 1 including 17 studies was abstracted in DARE. The relative risk of disease in individuals who exercise regularly compared with those who do not were estimated to be 0.6 for coronary heart disease, 0.67 for cerebrovascular disease, 0.61 for diabetes, 0.4 for hip fracture, and 0.9 for mental illness. Based on calculations of health care costs of these diseases, the overall costs avoided by exercise were $0.68 per person for people aged 15-44, and $30.39 for people aged 45 and over. The estimated average annual medical costs per person incurred due to sport and exercise is $30 for adults aged 15-44 and $10 for adults aged 45 and over.
Comment: The quality of evidence is downgraded by severe study limitations. There are a number of quite uncertain assumptions and limitations on the accuracy of the estimates.
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