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22-Mar-2023
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Arch Hellen Med, 40(2), March-April 2023, 192-202 ORIGINAL PAPER The association between the type and intensity of physical activity E. Gitsi,1 D. Panagiotakos,1 T. Tsiampalis,1 J. Skoumas,2 C. Chrysohoou,2 C. Pitsavos1 |
OBJECTIVE To study the association of the type and intensity level of exercise with the 10-year incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in a sample of adult men and women in the Attica region of Greece.
METHOD An epidemiological survey, the ATTICA study, was conducted during the period 2002–2012; 1,514 men and 1,528 women, aged 18–89 years, with no cardiovascular or other chronic diseases, were enrolled voluntarily at baseline examination. The data on 2,020 participants who provided accurate information on 10-year CVD incidence, and demographic, clinical and behavioral characteristics, were used in the final analysis for this study. Regarding physical activity, participants were classified into subgroups, according to the type, i.e., aerobic, resistance or mixed exercise, and intensity, i.e., low, moderate or high, as measured using metabolic equivalence of energy expenditure (MET).
RESULTS In the male participants, an independent protective role of aerobic exercise was demonstrated, compared to no exercise, in reducing CVD risk by 43% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.34, 0.75). The contribution of specific forms of exercise, including walking and participation in team sports, in preventing the development of CVD, also appeared to be significant. Engaging in moderate-intensity exercise, i.e., 3–6 METs, compared with low-intensity exercise, i.e., 0–3 METs, was associated with a 51% reduction in CVD morbidity and mortality (95% CI: 0.27, 0.87), in the male participants, after adjusting for confounding factors. An inadequate, low intensity level of physical activity (<3 METs) was reported by the majority of the study participants, specifically, 56.8%.
CONCLUSIONS These findings support the beneficial role of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity in the protection of cardiovascular health in adults, and particularly in men, and highlight the need for formulation of more effective strategies to enhance physical activity levels in the adult population of Attica.
Key words: Aerobic, Anaerobic, Cardiovascular disease, Exercise, Incidence.
