Prevention & lipidsCohort study
The relationship of cardiorespiratory fitness, physical activity, and coronary artery calcification to cardiovascular disease events in CARDIA participants
- Prospective cohort study
Authors' conclusion
In middle-aged adults, CRF and MVPA demonstrated an inverse association with CAC incidence, but did not mitigate the increased cardiovascular risk associated with CAC, indicating that CAC is not benign in individuals with higher CRF or MVPA levels.
Study context
- Population
- CARDIA participants with coronary artery calcification (CAC) assessed in 2005–06, mean age 45
- Participants
- 3,141 participants
- Exposure
- CAC presence/absence and lower/higher cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) or MVPA
- Outcome
- CVD events, CHD and mortality
- Follow-up
- Through 2019
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
CVD, CHD and mortality by CAC and CRF group (adjusted)
HR
- CAC and higher CRF
- 4.68
- No CAC and lower CRF
- 2.22
- CAC and lower CRF
- 3.72
- Coronary heart disease (CHD) HR vs no CAC and higher CRF: CAC and higher CRF
- 9.98
- CHD HR vs no CAC and higher CRF: no CAC and lower CRF
- 2.28
- CHD HR vs no CAC and higher CRF: CAC and lower CRF
- 5.52
- Mortality HR vs no CAC and higher CRF: CAC and higher CRF
- 1.15
- Mortality HR vs no CAC and higher CRF: no CAC and lower CRF
- 1.58
- Mortality HR vs no CAC and higher CRF: CAC and lower CRF
- 3.14
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Cardiovascular disease (CVD), CHD, mortality with MVPA (self-report or accelerometer) instead of CRF
- Similar findings
CAC incidence (reassessed 2010-11)
- Robust inverse association of CRF and accelerometer-derived MVPA with CAC incidence, partly accounted for by adjusting for CVD risk factors
Original publication
The relationship of cardiorespiratory fitness, physical activity, and coronary artery calcification to cardiovascular disease events in CARDIA participants. Eur J Prev Cardiol. Published 19 August 2024. doi:10.1093/eurjpc/zwae272
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it