Counseling to Promote Healthy Diet and Physical Activity in Adults With Cardiovascular Risk Factors: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement

SummaryThe relationship between haematocrit and cardiovascular risk factors, particularly blood pressure and blood lipids, has been examined in detail in a large prospective study of 7735 middle-aged men drawn from general practices in 24 British towns. The analyses are restricted to the 5494 men free of any evidence of ischaemic heart disease at screening.Smoking, body mass index, physical activity, alcohol intake and lung function (FEV1) were factors strongly associated with haematocrit levels independent of each other. Age showed a significant but small independent association with haematocrit. Non-manual workers had slightly higher haematocrit levels than manual workers; this difference increased considerably and became significant after adjustment for the other risk factors. Diabetics showed significantly lower levels of haematocrit than non-diabetics. In the univariate analysis, haematocrit was significantly associated with total serum protein (r = 0*18), cholesterol (r = 0.16), triglyceride (r = 0.15), diastolic blood pressure (r = 0.17) and heart rate (r = 0.14); all at p <0.0001. A weaker but significant association was seen with systolic blood pressure (r = 0.09, p <0.001). These relationships remained significant even after adjustment for age, smoking, body mass index, physical activity, alcohol intake, lung function, presence of diabetes, social class and for each of the other biological variables; the relationship with systolic blood pressure was considerably weakened. No association was seen with blood glucose and HDL-cholesterol. This study has shown significant associations between several lifestyle characteristics and the haematocrit and supports the findings of a significant relationship between the haematocrit and blood lipids and blood pressure. It emphasises the role of the haematocrit in assessing the risk of ischaemic heart disease and stroke in individuals, and the need to take haematocrit levels into account in determining the importance of other cardiovascular risk factors.

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The role of physical activity on cardiovascular risk factors in adolescents

Paediatrica Indonesiana ◽

10.14238/pi50.4.2010.220-5 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 50 (4) ◽

pp. 220

Author(s):

Nadia Dwi Insani ◽

Sukman Tulus Putra ◽

Agus Firmansyah

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Risk Factors ◽

Blood Pressure ◽

Body Mass Index ◽

Cardiovascular Risk ◽

Cardiovascular Risk Factors ◽

High Activity ◽

Blood Lipid ◽

Waist To Hip Ratio ◽

Activity Group

Background Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of death worldwide. Atherosclerotic process increases rapidly during adolescence. Physical activity is considered important in this period to modify cardiovascular risk factors, thus preventing disease in the future.Objective To determine whether different physical activity status in adolescence can influence body mass index (BMBMI), waist-to-hip ratio, blood pressure (BP), and blood lipid profile.Methods This was a cross-sectional descriptive study, conducted from December 2009 to January 2010. Adolescents who fulfilled the study criteria were classified into high and low physical activity category. Further examination including body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, blood pressure, and blood lipid profile were performed.Results Adolescents with high physical activity had higher, but statistically insignificant, BMBMI compared to adolescents in the P=0.493] and significantly lower waist-to-hip ratio [0.80 (range 0.73-0.9) vs.. 0.82 (range 0.7-0.9), P=0.019]. Difference in BP was not statistically significant between both groups [diastolic BP (70 (range 60-90) mmHg vs. 70 (range 60-90) mmHg, P=0.148; systolic BP 100 (range 90-130) mmHg vs. 100 (range 90-140) mmHg, P=0.228)]. Blood lipid examination in the high activity group showed significantly higher HDL cholesterol and lower triglyceride compared to the low activity group [HDL 59.8 (SD 11.8) mg/dL vs. 54.7 (SD 8.9) mg/dL; p=0.044; triglyceride: 60 (range 32-203) mmHg vs. 82 (range 37-198) mmHg, P=0.014]. Total and LDL cholesterol [total cholesterol 169.8 (SD 28.6) mmHg vs. 181.2 (SD 30.8) mmHg, P=0.107; LDL 103.6 (SD 26.8) mmHg vs. 114.1 (SD 27.3) mmHg, P=0.100] were lower in the high activity group but not statistically different in both groups.Conclusions Adolescents with high physical activity show less cardiovascular risk factors compared to those in the low physical activity group.

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