Physical activity measured by accelerometry and its associations with cardiac structure and vascular function in young and middle-aged adults

Charlotte Andersson; Asya Lyass; Martin G Larson; Nicole L Spartano; Joseph A Vita; Emelia J Benjamin; Joanne M Murabito; Dale W Esliger; Susan J Blease; Naomi M Hamburg; Gary F Mitchell; Ramachandran S Vasan

doi:10.1161/JAHA.114.001528

Physical activity measured by accelerometry and its associations with cardiac structure and vascular function in young and middle-aged adults

J Am Heart Assoc. 2015 Mar 19;4(3):e001528. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.114.001528.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Framingham Heart Study, Framingham, MA (C.A., A.L., M.G.L., E.J.B., J.M.M., S.J.B., R.S.V.) Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA (C.A., N.L.S., E.J.B., J.M.M., R.S.V.) Department of Cardiology, Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Denmark (C.A.).
² Framingham Heart Study, Framingham, MA (C.A., A.L., M.G.L., E.J.B., J.M.M., S.J.B., R.S.V.) Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Boston University, Boston, MA (A.L., M.G.L.).
³ Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA (C.A., N.L.S., E.J.B., J.M.M., R.S.V.) The Whitaker Cardiovascular Institute, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA (N.L.S., J.A.V., N.M.H.).
⁴ The Whitaker Cardiovascular Institute, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA (N.L.S., J.A.V., N.M.H.).
⁵ Framingham Heart Study, Framingham, MA (C.A., A.L., M.G.L., E.J.B., J.M.M., S.J.B., R.S.V.) Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA (C.A., N.L.S., E.J.B., J.M.M., R.S.V.) Sections of Preventive Medicine and Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA (E.J.B., R.S.V.).
⁶ Framingham Heart Study, Framingham, MA (C.A., A.L., M.G.L., E.J.B., J.M.M., S.J.B., R.S.V.) Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA (C.A., N.L.S., E.J.B., J.M.M., R.S.V.).
⁷ School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, United Kingdom (D.W.E.).
⁸ Framingham Heart Study, Framingham, MA (C.A., A.L., M.G.L., E.J.B., J.M.M., S.J.B., R.S.V.).
⁹ Cardiovascular Engineering Inc, Norwood, MA (G.F.M.).

Abstract

Background: Physical activity is associated with several health benefits, including lower cardiovascular disease risk. The independent influence of physical activity on cardiac and vascular function in the community, however, has been sparsely investigated.

Measures and results: We related objective measures of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA, assessed by accelerometry) to cardiac and vascular indices in 2376 participants of the Framingham Heart Study third generation cohort (54% women, mean age 47 years). Using multivariable regression models, we related MVPA to the following echocardiographic and vascular measures: left ventricular mass, left atrial and aortic root sizes, carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, augmentation index, and forward pressure wave. Men and women engaged in MVPA 29.9±21.4 and 25.5±19.4 min/day, respectively. Higher values of MVPA (per 10-minute increment) were associated with lower carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (estimate -0.53 ms/m; P=0.006) and lower forward pressure wave (estimate -0.23 mm Hg; P=0.03) but were not associated with augmentation index (estimate 0.13%; P=0.25). MVPA was associated positively with log(e) left ventricular mass (estimate 0.006 log(e) [g/m(2)]; P=0.0003), left ventricular wall thickness (estimate 0.07 mm; P=0.0001), and left atrial dimension (estimate 0.10 mm; P=0.01). MVPA also tended to be positively associated with aortic root dimension (estimate 0.05 mm; P=0.052). Associations of MVPA with cardiovascular measures were similar, in general, for bouts lasting <10 versus ≥10 minutes.

Conclusions: In our community-based sample, greater physical activity was associated with lower vascular stiffness but with higher echocardiographic left ventricular mass and left atrial size. These findings suggest complex relations of usual levels of physical activity and cardiovascular remodeling.

Keywords: echocardiography; epidemiology; physical activity; vascular measures.

Publication types

Observational Study
Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Actigraphy*
Adult
Age Factors
Atrial Function, Left*
Atrial Remodeling*
Cross-Sectional Studies
Echocardiography, Doppler
Female
Health Status
Humans
Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / diagnosis
Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / etiology*
Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / physiopathology
Linear Models
Male
Manometry
Middle Aged
Motor Activity*
Multivariate Analysis
Predictive Value of Tests
Pulse Wave Analysis
Risk Factors
Vascular Stiffness*
Ventricular Function, Left*
Ventricular Remodeling*

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding