Physical Activity, Sedentary Time, and Cardiovascular Disease Biomarkers at Age 60 to 64 Years

Abstract

BackgroundWe examined associations of objectively measured physical activity (PA) and sedentary time with cardiovascular disease biomarkers at age 60 to 64 years. This included investigation of sex differences and the extent to which associations may be mediated by adiposity.Methods and ResultsParticipants were 795 men and 827 women aged 60 to 64 years from the Medical Research Council National Survey of Health and Development. Combined heart rate and movement sensors worn for 5 consecutive days were used to derive overall PA energy expenditure, kJ/kg per day) and time spent sedentary (<1.5 metabolic equivalent of tasks), in light PA (1.5–3 metabolic equivalent of tasks) and moderate‐to‐vigorous intensity PA (>3 metabolic equivalent of tasks). Linear regression models were used to relate each PA parameter to inflammatory (C‐reactive protein, interleukin‐6), endothelial (tissue‐plasminogen activator, E‐selectin) and adipokine (leptin, adiponectin) markers extracted from fasting blood samples. Greater time in light PA and moderate‐to‐vigorous intensity PA and less sedentary time were associated with more favorable biomarker levels. For C‐reactive protein, interleukin‐6, and leptin, these differences were greater among women than men. For example, % differences (95% confidence intervals) in leptin for men and women per SD increases in sedentary time: 7.9 (2.7, 13.0) and 20.6 (15.3, 25.8); moderate‐to‐vigorous intensity PA: −3.8 (−8.9, 12.7) and −17.7 (−23.1, −12.4), moderate‐to‐vigorous intensity PA: −12.9 (−17.9, −8.0) and −18.3 (−23.4, −13.1). Fat mass mediated a greater proportion of these associations in women than men.ConclusionsGreater light PA and moderate‐to‐vigorous intensity PA and less sedentary time in early old age were associated with more favorable cardiovascular biomarker profiles. Fat mass partially mediated these associations but more strongly in women than men, which explained sex differences.

Does resistance training have an effect on levels of ferritin and atherogenic lipids in postmenopausal women? – A pilot trial

“…Physical inactivity and onset of menopause are known risk factors for CVD in women 15,16 . It has previously been shown that exercise with 10 weeks Nordic walking or a 3-month high-intensity aerobic training have beneficial effects on lipid profiles amongst postmenopausal women 10,11 .…”

Biohumoral Indicators Influenced by Physical Activity in the Elderly

“…A recent paper by Elhakeem et al evaluated heart rate and data collected by movement sensors to derive overall PA energy expenditure (KJ/kg per day) and time spent in sedentary behaviours (<1.5 metabolic equivalent of tasks), in light PA (1.5-3 metabolic equivalent of tasks), and in moderate-to-vigorous intensity PA (>3 metabolic equivalent of tasks). Results of the linear regressions analysis showed a significant association between time spent in PA (both in light and moderate to vigorous) and blood levels of CRP, IL-6, leptin, and adiponectin, especially in women [26]. Furthermore, the same study reported a positive association between cardiorespiratory fitness and favourable biomarkers levels.…”

“…A sedentary lifestyle and the lack of a scheduled activity during daily life are well-established risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) because of negative effects on cardiac and endothelial function, including a pro-atherogenic action [26,27]. The classical and nonclassical risk factors for CV disease were investigated in a recent paper, where the single factors were measured at different time-points of a specific PA program in a sample of elderly women (aged 65.0 ± 7.3 years).…”

“…At three months of the PA program, the values of these markers improved even more, with a significant reduction of calculated CVD risk at ten years [1]. PA also stimulates endothelium to synthesize and release the tissue-plasminogen activator (tPA), and some evidence suggested that also E-selectin may be influenced by PA [26]. A plethora of factors are actually influenced by PA, including C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tPA, E-selectin, and adipokines, and several studies attempted to address the influence of PA on the cardiovascular system.…”

Modest Gains After an 8-Week Exercise Program Correlate With Reductions in Non-traditional Markers of Cardiovascular Risk

“…While physical fitness and activity can reduce cardiovascular risk by as much as 30-50%, changes in individual traditional risk factors are small, with reported decreases of 5% for blood lipids (5), 3-5 mmHg for blood pressure (6), and 1% for hemoglobin A1C (7). Although previous studies have demonstrated exercise reduces novel risk factors in addition to traditional risk factors, these studies have been limited to the measurement of only a handful of biomarkers (8)(9)(10)(11)(12) and a reliance on self-reported measures of physical activity, fitness or weight loss (8)(9)(10)13).…”