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Cycling to work: risky or beneficial?

A new study published in the BMJ suggests that commuters who cycle to work have a higher risk for injury; however, this risk is outweighed by the health benefits it offers.

Researchers at the University of Glasgow collected data from 230,390 commuters from 22 sites across the UK who participated in UK Biobank. 2.5 per cent of the participants reported cycling as their primary mode of commuter transport.

The findings showed that commuting exclusively by bicycle increased the risk for injury requiring a hospital visit by 45 per cent. Cycling commuters also had a 3.4-fold higher risk for injury, where the cause was listed as a transport accident. Cycling longer distances to work further augmented the risk for injury. However, it was also found that the risk for injury among cycling commuters is offset by lower risks for cancers, heart disease and mortality associated with cycling.

Dr Paul Welsh, one of the study authors, said: "Our work along with other research in this area suggests that, there is a need for both local and central government in the UK to consider a wide range of options for improving cycling-specific, as well as general, road safety."


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