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Determinants of Racial/Ethnic Differences in Cardiorespiratory Fitness (from the Dallas Heart Study)

Ambarish Pandey1, Bryan D Park1, Colby Ayers1

  • 1Division of Cardiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas.

The American Journal of Cardiology
|June 29, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Ethnic differences in cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) are linked to body mass index (BMI), lifestyle, socioeconomic status (SES), and cardiovascular risk factors. These factors explain much of the observed disparities in CRF among different racial and ethnic groups.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Health
  • Exercise Physiology
  • Health Disparities

Background:

  • Ethnic and racial variations in cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) are documented.
  • The underlying determinants of these CRF differences, including lifestyle, socioeconomic status (SES), and cardiovascular (CV) risk factors, remain incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the contributions of body mass index (BMI), lifestyle behaviors, SES, CV risk factors, and cardiac function to ethnic/racial differences in CRF.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from 2,617 Dallas Heart Study participants without CV disease.
  • Employed multivariable-adjusted linear regression models to assess the association between race/ethnicity and CRF (peak oxygen uptake).
  • Adjusted for age, gender, BMI, lifestyle factors, SES, CV risk factors, and stroke volume.

Main Results:

  • Black participants exhibited the lowest CRF compared to white and Hispanic participants.
  • Initially, black and Hispanic participants showed significantly lower CRF after adjusting for age and gender.
  • These associations were substantially attenuated or became non-significant after adjusting for BMI, lifestyle, SES, and CV risk factors.
  • Adjustment for stroke volume did not significantly alter the association between black race/ethnicity and CRF.

Conclusions:

  • BMI, lifestyle factors, SES, and traditional CV risk factors are key determinants of ethnic/racial disparities in cardiorespiratory fitness.
  • These factors largely explain the observed differences in CRF across racial and ethnic groups.

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