Cardiorespiratory Fitness, Genetic Risk, and Incident Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Events: A Prospective Cohort...

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Genetics
• Preventive Medicine

Background:

• Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is a key indicator of cardiovascular health.
• Genetic susceptibility plays a role in the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD).
• Understanding the interplay between CRF and genetic risk is crucial for personalized prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prospective association between cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and incident atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD).
• To examine how this relationship varies across different levels of genetic susceptibility to cardiovascular disease.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study involving 69,447 UK Biobank participants was conducted.
• Cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed using maximal oxygen consumption via bike ergometry.
• Genetic susceptibility was quantified using polygenic risk scores, and participants were categorized into low, intermediate, and high genetic risk groups.

Main Results:

• Each one-unit increase in cardiorespiratory fitness was associated with an 8% reduction in ASCVD hazard, independent of other factors.
• The association between higher CRF and lower ASCVD risk was observed across all genetic risk strata.
• Absolute 10-year risk differences showed notable reductions in ASCVD for individuals with high CRF compared to low CRF, particularly within high genetic risk categories.

Conclusions:

• Higher cardiorespiratory fitness is consistently associated with a lower risk of developing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
• These benefits extend across all levels of genetic predisposition for cardiovascular disease.
• Encouraging adults to enhance or maintain CRF is a vital public health recommendation for ASCVD prevention.