article_snippet: The notion that being in good physical shape portends lower death risk is by no means new,' said lead investigator Haitham Ahmed. '
article_snippet: The researchers then tracked how many of the participants within each fitness level died from any cause over the next decade. '
article_snippet: The results reveal that among people of the same age and gender, fitness level as measured by METs, and peak heart rate reached during exercise were the greatest indicators of death risk.
article_snippet: Fitness level was the single most powerful predictor of death and survival, even after researchers accounted for other important variables such as diabetes and family history of premature death.
article_snippet: The results reveal that among people of the same age and gender, fitness level as measured by METs, and peak heart rate reached during exercise were the greatest indicators of death risk .