Lifelong Exercise Patterns and Cardiovascular Health
Open accessAbstract
Objective To determine the relationship between lifelong exercise dose and the prevalence of cardiovascular morbidity. Patients and methods From June 1, 2011, through December 31, 2014, 21,266 individuals completed an online questionnaire regarding their lifelong exercise patterns and cardiovascular health status. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) was defined as a diagnosis of myocardial infarction, stroke, or heart failure, and cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) were defined as hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, or type 2 diabetes. Lifelong exercise patterns were measured over a median of 32 years for 405 patients with CVD, 1379 patients with CVRFs, and 10,656 controls. Participants were categorized into nonexercisers and quintiles (Q1-Q5) of exercise dose (metabolic equivalent task [MET] minutes per week). Results The CVD/CVRF prevalence was lower for each exercise quintile compared with nonexercisers (CVD: nonexercisers, 9.6% vs Q1: 4.4%, Q2: 2.8%, Q3: 2.4%, Q4: 3.6%, Q5: 3.9%; P<.001; CVRF: nonexercisers, 24.6% vs Q1: 13.8%, Q2: 10.2%, Q3: 9.0%, Q4: 9.4%, Q5: 12.0%; P<.001). The lowest exercise dose (Q1) significantly reduced CVD and CVRF prevalence, but the largest reductions were found at 764 to 1091 MET-min/wk for CVD (adjusted odds ratio=0.31; 95% CI, 0.20-0.48) and CVRFs (adjusted odds ratio=0.36; 95% CI, 0.28-0.47). The CVD/CVRF prevalence did not further decrease in higher exercise dose groups. Exercise intensity did not influence the relationship between exercise patterns and CVD or CVRFs. Conclusion These findings demonstrate a curvilinear relationship between lifelong exercise patterns and cardiovascular morbidity. Low exercise doses can effectively reduce CVD/CVRF prevalence, but engagement in exercise for 764 to 1091 MET-min/wk is associated with the lowest CVD/CVRF prevalence. Higher exercise doses do not yield additional benefits.
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Higher levels of physical activity are associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular events.
“Higher levels of physical activity are associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular events 4, 5”
From Relationship between lifelong exercise volume and coronary atherosclerosis in athletes. (2017) · cites this paper as [4]
Plaque composition with fewer mixed plaques and more only calcified plaques seems to be more benign in the most active athletes, resulting in a lower risk profile for future cardiovascular disease.
“The combination of these plaque types results in a lower risk profile for future CVD.”
From Relationship between lifelong exercise volume and coronary atherosclerosis in athletes. (2017) · cites this paper as [4]
The Study population and Conclusion sections report lower CVD prevalence among exercisers, but they do not examine mixed versus calcified plaques or whether plaque composition predicts future CVD risk. A search for plaque composition, calcified plaques, and a plaque-related risk profile found no passage addressing that link. Page numbers were not available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.78)
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- Authors
- Maessen, M. F. H., Verbeek, A. L. M., Bakker, E. A., Thompson, P. D., Hopman, M. T. E., & Eijsvogels, T. M. H.
- Affiliations
- Radboud University Nijmegen (NL)
- Hartford Hospital (US)
- Corresponding author
- Eijsvogels, Thijs M.H.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Mayo Clinic Proceedings
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2016-06
- Volume
- 91
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 745-754
- ISSN
- 0025-6196 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2343814609
- Cited by
- 92
- References
- 30
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 16 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 3
- FWCI
- 7.78
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- Locations
- Mayo Clinic Proceedings (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Liverpool John Moores University (submittedVersion)
- Radboud Repository (Radboud University) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Pfizer
- AstraZeneca
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals
- European Commission (HORIZON2020, 655502)
- National Institutes of Health
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Complementary and alternative medicine › Cardiovascular and exercise physiology
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Cardiovascular Health and Risk Factors
- Keywords
- lifelong physical exercise, exercise dose, cardiovascular disease, cardiovascular risk factors, exercise intensity, cardiovascular morbidity, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, type 2 diabetes, myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure, physical activity, online surveys, older adults, men, ethnic minorities, socioeconomic status
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Cardiovascular Diseases, Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2, Female, Health Surveys, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Middle Aged, Netherlands, Risk Factors, Exercise, Prevalence, Logistic Models, Odds Ratio, Young Adult
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