Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comparative Study
. 2018 Feb:196:156-162.
doi: 10.1016/j.ahj.2017.08.022. Epub 2017 Sep 2.

Cardiorespiratory fitness versus physical activity as predictors of all-cause mortality in men

Affiliations
Comparative Study

Cardiorespiratory fitness versus physical activity as predictors of all-cause mortality in men

Taryn Davidson et al. Am Heart J. 2018 Feb.

Abstract

Background: Although both cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and physical activity (PA) are associated with mortality, whether they are associated with all-cause mortality independent of each other is unclear.

Methods: CRF was assessed by a maximal exercise test and PA was measured by self-report in 8,171 male veterans. The predictive power of CRF and PA, along with clinical variables, was assessed for all-cause mortality during a mean (±SD) follow-up 8.7 (4.4) years during which there were 1,349 deaths.

Results: CRF was associated with mortality after adjusting for clinical variables and remained a strong predictor of mortality after further adjusting for PA (hazard ratio 0.85, 95% CI 0.83-0.87). PA was a significant predictor of mortality after controlling for clinical variables; however, the association was eliminated after further adjusting for CRF (hazard ratio 0.98, 95% CI 0.88-1.10). In CRF-stratified analysis, being active (≥150 min/wk) was not associated with mortality within the unfit or fit categories (P>.4). However, in PA-stratified analysis, subjects categorized as fit (≥7 metabolic equivalents [METS]) had a lower risk of mortality regardless of PA status (P<.001).

Conclusions: In adult men, PA was associated with mortality independent of established risk factors, but not CRF. Conversely, CRF remained a strong predictor of mortality independent of PA status and established risk factors.

PubMed Disclaimer

Comment in

  • Arrival and survival of the fittest.
    Lavie CJ, Archer E, Nauman J. Lavie CJ, et al. Am Heart J. 2018 Feb;196:153-155. doi: 10.1016/j.ahj.2017.08.020. Epub 2017 Sep 1. Am Heart J. 2018. PMID: 29421007 No abstract available.

Publication types