Lifestyle and Cardiac Structure and Function in Healthy Midlife Population

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Lifestyle factors significantly influence cardiovascular health.
• Understanding the impact of physical activity, alcohol consumption, and smoking on cardiac structure and function in healthy midlife adults is crucial.
• Previous research has not fully elucidated these associations in a general, healthy population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between lifestyle factors (physical activity, alcohol consumption, smoking) and cardiac structure and function.
• To analyze measures like global longitudinal strain and diastolic function in a healthy midlife cohort.
• To identify potential modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular health in asymptomatic individuals.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966, including echocardiography on 715 healthy 46-year-olds.
• Assessed moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) using accelerometers over 14 days.
• Categorized participants by alcohol consumption (low, moderate, high) and smoking status (never, former, current).

Main Results:

• Higher MVPA was associated with increased left ventricular mass index and left atrial end-systolic volume index (p < 0.002).
• High alcohol consumption correlated with impaired global longitudinal strain and diastolic function (p < 0.004).
• Smoking status was not significantly associated with cardiac structure or function.

Conclusions:

• Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity is linked to cardiac structural changes, not functional changes, in healthy middle-aged adults.
• High alcohol consumption is associated with impaired cardiac function measures, but not cardiac structure.
• Lifestyle choices have distinct impacts on different aspects of cardiovascular health.