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. 2015 Nov;243(1):148-54.
doi: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2015.09.005. Epub 2015 Sep 9.

Objectively measured physical activity and sedentary-time are associated with arterial stiffness in Brazilian young adults

Bernardo Lessa Horta  1 , Beatriz D Schaan  2 , Renata Moraes Bielemann  3 , Carolina Ávila Vianna  1 , Denise Petrucci Gigante  1 , Fernando C Barros  1 , Ulf Ekelund  4 , Pedro Curi Hallal  1
Affiliations

Objectively measured physical activity and sedentary-time are associated with arterial stiffness in Brazilian young adults

Bernardo Lessa Horta et al. Atherosclerosis. 2015 Nov.

Abstract

Objective: To examine the associations between objectively measured physical activity and sedentary time with pulse wave velocity (PWV) in Brazilian young adults.

Methods: Cross-sectional analysis with participants of the 1982 Pelotas (Brazil) Birth Cohort who were followed-up from birth to 30 years of age. Overall physical activity (PA) assessed as the average acceleration (mg), time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA - min/day) and sedentary time (min/day) were calculated from acceleration data. Carotid-femoral PWV (m/s) was assessed using a portable ultrasound. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP/DBP), waist circumference (WC) and body mass index (BMI) were analyzed as possible mediators. Multiple linear regression and g-computation formula were used in the analyses.

Results: Complete data were available for 1241 individuals. PWV was significantly lower in the two highest quartiles of overall PA (0.26 m/s) compared with the lowest quartile. Participants in the highest quartile of sedentary time had 0.39 m/s higher PWV (95%CI: 0.20; 0.57) than those in the lowest quartile. Individuals achieving ≥30 min/day in MVPA had lower PWV (β = -0.35; 95%CI: -0.56; -0.14). Mutually adjusted analyses between MVPA and sedentary time and PWV changed the coefficients, although results from sedentary time remained more consistent. WC captured 44% of the association between MVPA and PWV. DBP explained 46% of the association between acceleration and PWV.

Conclusions: Physical activity was inversely related to PWV in young adults, whereas sedentary time was positively associated. Such associations were only partially mediated by WC and DBP.

Keywords: Cohort studies; Physical activity; Vascular stiffness.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Direct acyclic graph of the effect of physical activity and sedentary time on pulse wave velocity (PWV).
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Pulse wave velocity (PWV, m/s) according to time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in young adults from the 1982 Pelotas Birth Cohort.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

  • Does sedentary lifestyle touch arterial health?
    Schmidt-Trucksäss A. Schmidt-Trucksäss A. Atherosclerosis. 2016 Jan;244:222-3. doi: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2015.10.107. Epub 2015 Nov 5. Atherosclerosis. 2016. PMID: 26577565 No abstract available.

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