[Physical activity and Framingham risk score in older adults: the Bambuí Health and Aging Study]

This study explored the association between energy expenditure during physical activity and the Framingham risk score in the elderly. This was a cross-sectional study with a sample of 1,473 older adults. The dependent variable was level of physical activity, estimated by the metabolic equivalents in tertiles. The exploratory variables were the components of the Framingham risk score and the Framingham risk score itself. The force of associations was estimated by odds ratios and confidence intervals using ordinal logistic regression. Higher physical activity was associated with lower Framingham risk score, younger age, lower proportion of diabetes, and higher mean HDL levels. Higher energy expenditure was also associated with lower odds of smoking in men. The findings suggest that the adoption of a physically active lifestyle can reduce coronary risk, and that the promotion of physical activity is a universal strategy to fight chronic noncommunicable diseases.