Physical activity in relation to cardiac risk markers in secondary prevention for patients with coronary artery disease

• Purpose: The strong evidence of the benefits of exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation can not be questioned. However, the relationship between level of habitual physical activity and cardiac risk markers in secondary prevention for patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) has yet to be quantified. The aims of the study were to describe the level of physical activity in patients with CAD, and to investigate the association between physical activity and cardiac risk markers. Methods: In total, 332 patients, mean age 65±9.1 years, diagnosed with CAD at a university hospital were included in the study, six months after the cardiac event. Physical activity was measured with a pedometer (steps/day). Investigation of cardiac risk markers included serum lipids, oral glucose-tolerance test, twenty-four hour blood pressure and heart rate monitoring, smoking, body-mass index, waist-hip ratio, and muscle endurance. Correlations with cardiac risk indicators were assessed using Spearman's rank order correlation, where adjustments were made for characteristics univariately associated (p<0.05) with both pedometer steps/day and the variable in question. Results: The patients performed in median 7027 (inter-quartile range 4553-9356) steps/day. The significant adjusted correlations between pedometer steps/day and cardiac risk markers were in general small. Pedometer steps/day was positively correlated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) (0.19, p<0.001), muscle endurance tests (0.19-0.25, p<0.001) and inversely associated with triglycerides (-0.20, p<0.001), glucose-tolerance (-0.23, p<0.001), twenty-four hour heart rate recording during night (-0.17, p=0.004), and total heart rate over 24h (-0.13, p=0.02). Conclusions: There were small, but significant, associations between habitual physical activity and HDL, muscle endurance, triglycerides, glucose-tolerance, and 24-h heart rate, indicating the possibility of positive effects of physical activity on these parameters. However, before more confirmatory data are available, we recommend that patients with CAD are routinely referred to exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation, due to the principle of evidence-based medicine.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Kardiologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Cardiac and Cardiovascular Systems (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Sjukgymnastik (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Physiotherapy (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

coronary artery disease

physical activity

Publikations- och innehållstyp

vet (ämneskategori)

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