Cardiorespiratory Fitness, Adiposity, and Cancer Mortality in Men

Area of Science:

• Exercise physiology
• Oncology
• Public health

Background:

• Overweight and obesity are significant risk factors for various health issues, including increased cancer mortality.
• Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is a key indicator of overall health and disease risk.
• Understanding the relationship between CRF and cancer mortality in specific populations is crucial for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and cancer mortality in men diagnosed with overweight and obesity.
• To quantify the risk reduction in cancer mortality associated with different levels of CRF in these populations.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 3,610 men (overweight and obese) without prior malignancy underwent maximal exercise testing.
• Participants were followed for an average of 12.3 years to ascertain cancer mortality.
• Hazard ratios and population-attributable risks (PAR) were calculated to assess the impact of CRF.

Main Results:

• Higher CRF demonstrated a significant inverse and graded association with cancer mortality in both overweight and obese men.
• Men with moderate and high CRF experienced substantially reduced risks of cancer mortality compared to those with low CRF (e.g., 79% reduction in overweight men with high CRF).
• Low CRF was associated with a considerable population-attributable risk for cancer mortality in overweight (9.3%) and obese (10.5%) men.

Conclusions:

• Elevated cardiorespiratory fitness is strongly linked to decreased cancer mortality among men with overweight and obesity.
• Addressing and improving low CRF levels in these high-risk groups presents a potential strategy to reduce cancer deaths and associated burdens.