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Being fit, reducing waist girth, and not smoking improves CV health in men

By jeremyc | December 22, 2009

Source: MedWire News

Study results show that being physically fit, having a normal waist circumference, and not smoking reduces the risk for coronary heart disease (CHD)-related events and cardiovascular (CV) or all-cause death in men.

“Physical inactivity, cigarette smoking, and abdominal obesity are key modifiable risk factors for CHD,” say researchers.

Chong-Do Lee (Arizona State University, USA) and colleagues assessed the combined effects of not having these risk factors on CV health in a cohort of 23,657 men aged 30–79 years. The men were enrolled in the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study (ACLS).

At baseline, the participants had a medical examination including a maximal treadmill exercise test. They also self reported on various health habits including smoking status. Men who did not smoke, had moderate or high fitness, and normal waist girth were defined as having a low-risk profile.

Over a follow-up period of 14.7 years, the team recorded 482 CHD events (non fatal myocardial infarction or fatal CHD), and 1034 deaths (306 CV disease, 387 cancer, and 341 other causes).

Following adjustment for confounders, the team found that men considered to be low risk at baseline had a 59% reduced risk for CHD-related events, a 77% reduced risk for CVD mortality, and a 69% reduced risk for all-cause mortality compared with men with none of these low-risk factors.

Men who were physically inactive, smoked, and had an abnormally large waist circumference were estimated to have a 14.2-year reduction in life expectancy compared with men in the low-risk category.

“We found that being fit, not smoking, and having a normal waist girth is associated with lower risk of CHD events and CVD and all-cause mortality in men,” conclude Lee et al in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

“The magnitude of having the three low-risk factors is impressive… and indicates the clinical and public health importance of these characteristics,” they add.

“To address health promotion and disease prevention strategies, it is important to increase healthy low-risk populations, which is a key to CHD prevention.”

Topics: | Cardiovascular |

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