India, March 31 -- People who get just a few minutes of vigorous activity daily are less likely to develop eight major diseases, including arthritis, heart disease and dementia, according to research published in the European Heart Journal on Monday.

The researchers carried out a detailed study of around 96,000 people, comparing their overall activity levels with the amount of vigorous activity and their subsequent risk of eight major diseases.

They found that even short bursts of more intense activity, like running for the bus, lowered the risk of disease and death overall, but it was especially protective against inflammatory diseases, including arthritis; serious cardiovascular disease, such as heart attack and stroke; and dementia....