Exercise capacity and mortality in black and white men

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Preventive Medicine
• Exercise Physiology

Background:

• Exercise capacity is a known predictor of mortality, but data is limited in Black populations.
• Existing research primarily focuses on white individuals, leaving a gap in understanding for other racial groups.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between exercise capacity and all-cause mortality in a diverse cohort of male veterans.
• To determine if the predictive value of exercise capacity on mortality differs between Black and White individuals.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 6749 Black and 8911 White male veterans underwent treadmill exercise testing.
• Fitness was categorized by peak metabolic equivalents (METs) achieved.
• All-cause mortality was tracked over an average follow-up of 7.5 years.

Main Results:

• Exercise capacity was the strongest predictor of mortality risk, independent of other clinical factors.
• Each 1-MET increase in exercise capacity was associated with a 13% reduction in mortality risk.
• Individuals with higher exercise capacity (7.1-10 METs and >10 METs) had significantly lower mortality risk compared to those with <5 METs, irrespective of race or cardiovascular disease status.

Conclusions:

• Exercise capacity is a powerful and consistent predictor of all-cause mortality in both Black and White men.
• The inverse relationship between exercise capacity and mortality is graded and demonstrates similar impact across racial groups.