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
. 2021 Aug 6:20:1294-1304.
doi: 10.17179/excli2021-3818. eCollection 2021.

The impact of physical activity on cardiovascular mortality in the general population

Affiliations

The impact of physical activity on cardiovascular mortality in the general population

Tetsuya Takahashi et al. EXCLI J. .

Abstract

The beneficial effect of moderate physical activity (PA) on morbidity and mortality has been observed in the general population. However, the ideal intensity of PA for improving cardiovascular longevity in Japanese general population is uncertain. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the PA and cardiovascular mortality in the general population. This longitudinal cohort study included 1,826 apparently healthy subjects who participated in a community-based health checkup. There were 31 cardiovascular deaths during 10-year follow-up. Subjects were divided into 4 groups based on the quartiles of PA (low, mild, moderate and high). Kaplan-Meier analysis and multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis demonstrated that the most favorable cardiovascular prognosis was observed in subjects with moderate PA followed by those with mild PA. High PA as well as low PA were associated with higher cardiovascular mortality compared with mild and moderate PA. Noteworthy, in subjects with high PA, Cox hazard analysis revealed that previous cardiovascular disease, smoking, brain natriuretic peptide levels, and Framingham risk score were associated with cardiovascular mortality. The results suggest a U-shaped association between cardiovascular mortality and PA. Mild to moderate PA was associated with favorable cardiovascular outcomes in the Japanese general population. High PA might be associated with poor cardiovascular outcomes in subjects with a history of heart disease and high coronary risk factors.

Keywords: cardiovascular mortality; general population; physical activity.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Table 1
Table 1. Clinical characteristics according to physical activity
Table 2
Table 2. Clinical characteristics of subjects with low physical activity
Table 3
Table 3. Clinical characteristics of subjects with high physical activity
Table 4
Table 4. Univariate Cox hazard analysis for cardiovascular deaths
Figure 1
Figure 1. Kaplan-Meier analysis to predict cardiovascular mortality in subjects according to physical activity
Figure 2
Figure 2. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analyses for cardiovascular mortality. after adjustment for age, sex, and Framingham risk score

Similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Ainsworth BE, Haskell WL, Whitt MC, Irwin ML, Swartz AM, Strath SJ, et al. Compendium of physical activities: an update of activity codes and MET intensities. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2000;32:S498–S504. - PubMed
    1. Armstrong ME, Green J, Reeves GK, Beral V, Cairns BJ. Frequent physical activity may not reduce vascular disease risk as much as moderate activity: large prospective study of women in the United Kingdom. Circulation. 2015;131:721–729. - PubMed
    1. D'Agostino RB, Sr, Vasan RS, Pencina MJ, Wolf PA, Cobain M, Massaro JM, et al. General cardiovascular risk profile for use in primary care: the Framingham Heart Study. Circulation. 2008;117:743–753. - PubMed
    1. Eckardt KU, Berns JS, Rocco MV, Kasiske BL. Definition and classification of CKD: the debate should be about patient prognosis--a position statement from KDOQI and KDIGO. Am J Kidney Dis. 2009;53:915–920. - PubMed
    1. Eijsvogels TM, Molossi S, Lee DC, Emery MS, Thompson PD. Exercise at the extremes: the amount of exercise to reduce cardiovascular events. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2016;67:316–329. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources