Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 18, 2025
Visualization of Intensity Levels to Reduce the Gap Between Self-Reported and Directly Measured Physical Activity
Published on: March 7, 2019
Association of accelerometer-derived physical activity with all-cause and cause-specific mortality among individuals
Zhi Cao1,2, Jiahao Min1, Yabing Hou3
1School of Public Health, Hangzhou Normal University, 2318 Yuhangtang Road, Yuhang District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 311121, China.
Insights
Regular physical activity (PA) significantly reduces mortality risk in cardiovascular disease (CVD) patients. Accelerometer data shows that light, moderate, and vigorous PA all lower risks, with greater benefits from higher intensity activity.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Disease Research
- Exercise Physiology
- Public Health & Epidemiology
Background:
- Cardiovascular disease (CVD) patients face elevated mortality risks.
- Understanding the impact of physical activity (PA) intensity on mortality is crucial for this population.
- Previous studies often relied on self-reported PA, potentially introducing bias.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the association between accelerometer-measured, intensity-specific physical activity (PA) and mortality in individuals with pre-existing CVD.
- To determine if different intensities of PA (light, moderate, vigorous) have varying effects on all-cause, cancer, and CVD mortality.
Main Methods:
- Prospective cohort study of 8024 individuals with CVD from the UK Biobank.
- Physical activity was objectively measured using wrist-worn accelerometers over 7 days.
- Mortality data (all-cause, cancer, CVD) was collected from death registries, analyzed using Cox regression and restricted cubic splines.
Main Results:
- An inverse, non-linear association was observed between PA duration and all-cause mortality, regardless of intensity.
- Significant reductions in mortality risk were associated with higher quartiles of light-intensity PA (LPA), moderate-intensity PA (MPA), and vigorous-intensity PA (VPA).
- The highest population-attributable fractions (PAFs) for preventable deaths were linked to VPA, followed by MPA.
Conclusions:
- Accelerometer-derived data confirms an inverse association between all intensities of PA and mortality risk in CVD patients.
- The magnitude of mortality reduction associated with PA appears larger with objective measurement compared to self-reported data.
- Higher intensity physical activity, particularly VPA, offers substantial potential for preventing deaths in individuals with CVD.
Aims:
To investigate the association of accelerometer-measured intensity-specific physical activity (PA) with all-cause and cause-specific mortality among individuals with cardiovascular disease (CVD).
Methods And Results:
In this prospective cohort study, 8024 individuals with pre-existing CVD (mean age: 66.6 years, female: 34.1%) from the UK Biobank had their PA measured using wrist-worn accelerometers over a 7-day period in 2013-2015. All-cause, cancer, and CVD mortality was ascertained from death registries. Cox regression modelling and restricted cubic splines were used to assess the associations. Population-attributable fractions (PAFs) were used to estimate the proportion of preventable deaths if more PA was undertaken. During a median follow-up of 6.8 years, 691 deaths (273 from cancer and 219 from CVD) were recorded. An inverse non-linear association was found between PA duration and all-cause mortality risk, irrespective of PA intensity. The hazard ratio (HR) of all-cause mortality plateaued at 1800 min/week for light-intensity PA (LPA), 320 min/week for moderate-intensity PA (MPA), and 15 min/week for vigorous-intensity PA (VPA). The highest quartile of PA was associated with lower risks for all-cause mortality, with HRs of 0.63 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.51-0.79), 0.42 (0.33-0.54), and 0.47 (0.37-0.60) for LPA, MPA, and VPA, respectively. Similar associations were observed for cancer and CVD mortality. Additionally, the highest PAFs were noted for VPA, followed by MPA.
Conclusion:
We found an inverse non-linear association between all intensities of PA (LPA, MPA, VPA, and MVPA) and mortality risk in CVD patients using accelerometer-derived data, but with a larger magnitude of the associations than that in previous studies based on self-reported PA.
Related Concept Videos
01:17Exercise and Cardiac Output
Sustained exercise increases the muscles' oxygen demand, which can be...
01:20Exercise and Cardiovascular Response
Light to moderate physical activity initiates a series of interconnected responses in the body. The heart rate modestly increases in anticipation of the workout, followed by widespread vasodilation as oxygen consumption by skeletal muscles increases. This results in decreased peripheral resistance, increased capillary blood flow, and accelerated...
01:23Assessment of the Cardiovascular System I: Subjective Data
Initial Enquiry
Ask the patient about their primary concern and thoroughly explore all reported symptoms.
Medical History
Investigate past illnesses affecting the cardiovascular system, such as angina, anemia, rheumatic fever, congenital heart disease, stroke, thrombophlebitis, dysrhythmias, varicosities
Inquire about symptoms...
01:20Blood Studies for Cardiovascular System I: Cardiac Biomarkers
The essential diagnostic tools for detecting myocardial necrosis and monitoring individuals suspected of having acute coronary syndrome (ACS) include:
Troponins
Troponins, particularly cardiac troponins I and T, are the most precise and sensitive markers of myocardial injury. They are detectable within 4-6 hours of myocardial injury and remain...