Prevention & lipidsCohort study
The proteomic profile of leisure time physical activity across two decades: implications for future cardiovascular risk and mortality
- Prospective cohort study with nested case-cohort study
- multicohort (six European cohorts)
Authors' conclusion
These findings confirm and extend our understanding of how physical activity could assert its beneficial effect on cardiovascular health through proteins involved with modulating inflammatory, immune, and metabolic pathways.
Study context
- Population
- Men of the Uppsala Longitudinal Study of Adult Men (physical activity self-reported at ages 50, 60 and 70; proteins at age 70); MIMI nested case-cohort from six European cohortscase-cohort: 420 cases, 1598 controls
- Participants
- 782 men
- Exposure
- Higher vs lower cumulative leisure time physical activity
- Outcome
- Associations of leisure time physical activity cumulated over 20 years with 720 plasma proteins
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Plasma proteins inversely associated with higher physical activity
Plasma proteins inversely associated with higher leisure time physical activity (adjusted)
12
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Imminent myocardial infarction (MI), interleukin-6 (MIMI case-cohort) · within 6 months of blood draw
| Comparison | HR (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|
| Interleukin-6 · increased incidence of imminent MI | 1.22 (1.09–1.37) | |
| 0.512Hazard ratio (log scale) |
Long-term MI, tumour necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 11A · up to 19.3 years
| Comparison | HR (CI) | |
|---|---|---|
| Tumour necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 11A · increased long-term MI incidence | 1.22 (1.01–1.48) | |
| 0.512Hazard ratio (log scale) |
| Outcome | HR (CI) |
|---|---|
| Mortality, 11 of the 12 proteins · up to 26.3 years · increased mortality | 1.14-1.30 (1.01–1.42) |
Original publication
The proteomic profile of leisure time physical activity across two decades: implications for future cardiovascular risk and mortality. Eur J Prev Cardiol. Published 8 January 2026. doi:10.1093/eurjpc/zwag016
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it