Physical Activity as an Index of Heart Attack Risk in College Alumni1

Abstract

Risk of first heart attack was found to be related inversely to energy expenditure reported by 16,936 Harvard male alumni, aged 35-74 years, of whom 572 experienced heart attacks in 117,680 person-years of followup. Stairs climbed, blocks walked, strenuous sports played, and a composite physical activity index all opposed risk. Men with index below 2000 kilocalories per week were at 64% higher risk than classmates with higher index. Adult exercise was independent of other influences on heart attack risk, and peak exertion as strenuous sports play enhanced the effect of total energy expenditure. Notably, alumni physical activity supplanted student athleticism assessed in college 16-50 years earlier. If it is postulated that varsity athlete status implies selective cardiovascular fitness, such selection alone is insufficient to explain lower heart attack risk in later adult years. Ex-varsity athletes retained lower risk only if they maintained a high physical activity index as alumni.

Physical Activity and Incident Cardiovascular Disease in Women: Is the Relation Modified by Level of Global Cardiovascular Risk?

“…In a study of 470 163 Taiwanese adults, Li et al reported that, among hypertensive individuals, risk of mortality was 37% higher for those who were inactive compared with those who were active 6. Among participants in the Harvard Alumni Health Study, Paffenbarger et al found that men with a high level of physical activity (≥2000 kcal/wk) had lower rates of heart attack than those with a low level of physical activity (<2000 kcal/wk), even in the presence of various cardiovascular risk factors, including older age, smoking, and obesity 9. In a follow‐up to this analysis, Sesso and colleagues found that, among men with multiple (≥4) CVD risk factors, those who were more active had reduced CHD risk compared with those who were less active 10.…”

“…Furthermore, this inverse association has been shown in various high‐risk subgroups, including older adults, current smokers, and adults with diabetes mellitus (DM), hypercholesterolemia, or hypertension 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Although physical activity reduces CVD risk in people with and without single CVD risk factors, it is unclear if physical activity is equally beneficial for prevention of CVD among women with varying levels of global cardiovascular risk.…”

Abnormal Heart Rate Recovery after Exercise: A Comparison with Known Indicators of Increased Mortality

“…It is well documented that increased age [7, 8], poor functional work capacity [9], chronotropic incompetence [10], extent of myocardial ischemia [11, 12], extent and history of previous myocardial infarction [13, 14], low ejection fraction [15, 16, 17], and increased end diastolic volume [15, 16, 17]are all independent predictors of increased cardiac mortality.…”

Physical Education and Leisure-Time Physical Activity in Youth Are Both Important for Adulthood Activity, Physical Performance, and Health

“…1,2 Even if current PA level is known to have the greatest effect on health and physical performance in general, 3,4 childhood and adolescence PA might also have important beneficial effects in different domains, for example, bone density. 5 With the alarming reports of increasing childhood/adolescent obesity and declining fitness levels, 6,7 studies on the immediate effects on health and disease in youth, as well as tracking into adulthood and effects on lifestyle, activity habits, and health later in life, are highly relevant.…”