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What level of physical activity protects against premature cardiovascular death? The Caerphilly study
S Yu1, J W G Yarnell, P M Sweetnam
1Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Queen's University of Belfast, Belfast, UK.
Insights
Vigorous leisure time physical activity (LTPA) significantly reduces the risk of premature death from all causes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and coronary heart disease (CHD) in middle-aged men. Light or moderate intensity LTPA did not show a significant association with mortality risk.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Health
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Leisure time physical activity (LTPA) is crucial for maintaining health and preventing chronic diseases.
- Understanding the optimal intensity of LTPA for reducing mortality risk is essential for public health guidelines.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the specific intensity of LTPA most effective in lowering all-cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality.
- To analyze the dose-response relationship between different LTPA intensities and mortality in middle-aged men.
Main Methods:
- A prospective study followed 1975 middle-aged British men (49-64 years) for 11 years.
- Participants had no pre-existing CHD at baseline.
- Mortality outcomes included all-cause, CVD, and CHD deaths.
Main Results:
- Total LTPA showed a graded association with reduced all-cause, CVD, and CHD mortality.
- Light and moderate intensity LTPA did not demonstrate significant associations with mortality.
- Heavy or vigorous intensity LTPA exhibited a significant dose-response relationship with decreased mortality risk, even after adjusting for other risk factors.
Conclusions:
- Only heavy or vigorous intensity LTPA was independently linked to a lower risk of premature death from CVD in men without baseline CHD.
- These findings emphasize the importance of high-intensity exercise for cardiovascular health benefits.
Objective:
To examine the optimal intensity of leisure time physical activity (LTPA) to decrease the risk of all cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality in a population sample of middle aged British men.
Design:
Prospective study of middle aged men with an 11 year follow up.
Setting:
A whole population sample of men from Caerphilly, South Wales, UK.
Subjects:
1975 men aged 49-64 years without historical or clinical evidence of CHD at baseline examination.
Main Outcome Measures:
All cause, CVD, and CHD mortality.
Results:
Total (cumulative) LTPA had a graded, significant relation with all cause, CVD, and CHD mortality but no trend with cancer deaths. When different intensities of activity were considered, light and moderate intensity LTPA had inconsistent and non-significant relations with all cause, CVD, or CHD mortality whether adjusted only for age or for other cardiovascular risk factors. In contrast a significant dose-response relation was found for heavy intensity LTPA for all cause, CVD, and CHD mortality fully adjusted for other risk factors.
Conclusions:
These data suggest that, in a population of men without evidence of CHD at baseline, only leisure exercise classified as heavy or vigorous was independently associated with reduced risk of premature death from CVD.