| To provide a detailed history of the Cooper Center Longitudinal Study (CCLS), which was conceived of by Kenneth H. Cooper, MD, MPH in 1970. Methods: We describe the CCLS population, key components of the Cooper Clinic examination, and additional sources of morbidity and mortality data for Cooper Clinic patients. We also describe some of the major findings from the CCLS that have been published in peer-reviewed journals over the past half-century. Results: Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), which is measured objectively via a maximal treadmill exercise test during the Cooper Clinic exam, has emerged as a very powerful and independent risk factor for various morbidity and mortality outcomes. More specifically, CCLS has definitively shown that moderate to high levels of CRF provide a significant level of protection from all-cause, cardiovascular disease, and cancer mortality. Furthermore, we have shown that CRF at midlife is a very strong predictor of all-cause dementia, type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease, cancer incidence and survival, as well as several additional chronic health conditions. Accordingly, the CCLS has also shown that midlife CRF is significantly associated with health care costs later in life. Conclusion: With rare exception, regardless of the outcome being studied over the past half-century, the CCLS has shown that moderate to high levels of CRF provide substantial protection from many adverse health outcomes, relative to having a low level of CRF. |
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