Objective: To examine the association between abnormal exercise electrocardiographic (E-ECG) test results and mortality (all-cause and that resulting from coronary heart disease [CHD] or cardiovascular disease [CVD]) in a large population of asymptomatic men with metabolic syndrome (MetS).patients and MethOds: A total of 9191 men (mean age, 46.9 years) met the criteria of having MetS. All completed a maximal E-ECG treadmill test (May 14, 1979, through April 9, 2001) and were without a previous CVD event or diabetes at baseline. Main outcomes were all-cause mortality, mortality due to CHD, and mortality due to CVD. Cox regression analysis was used to quantify the mortality risk according to E-ECG responses.Results: During a follow-up of 14 years, 633 deaths (242 CVD and 150 CHD) were identified. Mortality rates and hazard ratios (HRs) across E-ECG responses were the following: for all-cause mortality: HR, 1.36; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.09-1.70 for equivocal responses and HR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.12-1.77 for abnormal responses (P trend <.001); for mortality due to CVD: HR, 1.29; 95% CI, 0.88-1.88 for equivocal responses and HR, 2.04; 95% CI, 1.46-2.84 for abnormal responses (P trend <.001); and for mortality due to CHD: HR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.02-2.56 for equivocal responses and HR, 2.45; 95% CI, 1.62-3.69 for abnormal responses (P trend <.001). A positive gradient for CHD, CVD, and all-cause mortality rates across E-ECG categories within 3, 4, or 5 MetS components was observed (P<.001 for all).cOnclusiOn: Among men with MetS, an abnormal E-ECG response was associated with higher risk of all-cause, CVD, and CHD mortality. These findings underscore the importance of E-ECG tests to identify men with MetS who are at risk of dying. Proc. 2010;85(3):239-246 ACLS = Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study; CHD = coronary heart disease; CI = confidence interval; CRF = cardiorespiratory fitness; CVD = cardiovascular disease; DM = diabetes mellitus; ECG = electrocardiography; E-ECG = exercise ECG; HR = hazard ratio; MET = metabolic equivalent; MetS = metabolic syndrome; NDI = National Death Index; SRI = stress-recovery index From the department of Kinesiology, school of health, Kinesiology, and sport studies, coastal carolina university, conway, sc (G.W.l.); department of exercise science (G.W.l., X.s., G.a.h., s.n.b.) and department of epidemiology and biostatistics (s.n.b.), arnold school of public health, university of south carolina, columbia; pennington biomedical Research center, baton Rouge, la (t.s.c.); and department of cardiovascular diseases, Ochsner Medical center, new Orleans, la (c.j.l.). the aerobics center longitudinal study was supported by national institutes of health grants aG06945 and hl62508.
Mayo Clinindividual reprints of this article are not available. address correspondence to G. William lyerly, phd, department of Kinesiology, school of health, Kinesiology, and sport studies, coastal carolina university, pO box 261954, conway, sc 29528 (glyerly@coastal.edu).
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