This file was dowloaded from the institutional repository Brage NIH -brage.bibsys.no/nih Dencker, M., Thorsson, O., Karlsson, M. K., Lindén, C., Wollmer, P., Andersen, L. B. (2012). Aerobic fitness related to cardiovascular risk factors in young children. and scaled by body mass (ml/min/kg).Total fat mass (TBF) and abdominal fat (AFM) were measured by Dualenergy x-ray absorptiometry. Total body fat was expressed as a percentage of total body mass (BF%), and body fat distribution as AFM/TBF. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP, DBP), and resting heart rate (RHR) were measured. Mean artery pressure (MAP) and pulse pressure (PP) were calculated. Echocardiography, 2-dimensional guided M-mode, was performed and left atrial diameter (LA) was measured and left ventricular mass (LVM) and relative wall thickness (RWT) were calculated. Z-scores (Value for the individual-mean value for group)/SD were calculated, by sex. Sum of z-scores for DBP, SDP, PP, MAP, RHR, LVM, LA, RWT, BF%, AFM, and AFM/TBF were calculated in boys and girls, separately, and used as composite risk factor score for CVD. Pearson correlation revealed significant associations between VO 2PEAK and composite risk factor score in both boys (r=-0.48 P<0.05), and in girls (r=-0.42, P<0.05). One-way ANOVA analysis indicated significant differences in composite risk factor score between the different quartiles of VO 2PEAK (P<0.001), thus higher VO 2PEAK was associated with lower composite risk factor score for CVD. In conclusion, this sample of young children shows that low VO 2PEAK is associated with an elevated composite risk factor score for CVD in both boys and girls.3