Improvement of physical activity was significantly reduced serum hepatocyte growth factor levels in a general population: 10-year prospective study
Abstract Background: We have previously reported that hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) levels were significantly associated with insulin resistance or components of the metabolic syndrome. However, it has been unknown how physical activity (PA) affects HGF levels after a long-term follow-up.Aims: Our aim was to clarify the association between PA changes and HGF levels /cerebro-cardiovascular disease (CVD) development during 10 years follow-up period in a community-dwelling Japanese general population.Methods: Of 1,320 subjects who received a health check-up examination in Tanushimaru town in 1999, 903 subjects (341 males and 562 females) were enrolled, who received the examination both in 1999 and 2009. We evaluated their PA levels by Baecke questionnaire in 1999 and evaluated their PA levels by a simple questionnaire in 2009. We measured the serum HGF levels by ELISA method in 1999 and 2009. We divided into four physical activity groups such as stable low PA, increased PA, decreased PA, and stable high PA. Using these questionnaires, we compared their PA and HGF levels in 10 years.Results: A significant inverse association was found between PA changes and serum HGF levels in 10 years after adjustment for age and sex. The serum HGF levels of increased PA group were significantly lower than stable low PA (p=0.038), and the former group showed the reduced CVD development compared to the latter group after adjustment for age and sex (p=0.012).Conclusions: Our data demonstrated that improvement of PA levels was associated with reduced HGF levels and CVD development.