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Physical fitness and carotid atherosclerosis in men

C D Lee1, S Y Jae, C Iribarren

  • 1Arizona State University, Mesa, United States. chong.lee@asu.edu

International Journal of Sports Medicine
|July 2, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Higher cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is linked to reduced carotid atherosclerosis risk in Korean men. Maintaining good physical fitness may help prevent artery disease and improve cardiovascular health.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Preventive Medicine
  • Exercise Physiology

Background:

  • Carotid atherosclerosis is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular events.
  • Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is a key indicator of overall health.
  • The relationship between CRF and subclinical atherosclerosis needs further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the association between cardiorespiratory fitness and carotid atherosclerosis in Korean men.
  • To determine if higher CRF levels are protective against carotid artery disease.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study involving 9,871 Korean men aged 40-81 years.
  • Carotid intima-media thickness measured via B-mode ultrasonography.
  • Cardiorespiratory fitness assessed using a maximal treadmill exercise test (Bruce protocol) and categorized into low, moderate, and high fit groups based on age-specific VO2peak percentiles.

Main Results:

  • The prevalence of carotid atherosclerosis decreased across increasing CRF categories (11.7% in low fit, 9.6% in moderate fit, 7.7% in high fit).
  • An inverse association between CRF and carotid atherosclerosis was observed after adjusting for multiple risk factors (p for trend <0.001).
  • High CRF was associated with a significantly lower odds ratio for carotid atherosclerosis (OR=0.67; 95% CI, 0.55-0.80) compared to low CRF.

Conclusions:

  • Higher cardiorespiratory fitness is independently associated with a lower prevalence of carotid atherosclerosis in middle-aged and elderly men.
  • Maintaining a high level of physical fitness may be a crucial strategy for preventing carotid artery disease.
  • These findings highlight the importance of promoting physical activity for cardiovascular health in aging populations.

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