[Relationship between exercise endurance capacity and cardiovascular risk factors in seventh decade subjects].
Evidence suggests that physical activity is related to lower coronary risk factors in middle-aged subjects, but to date data are lacking for older persons. A total of 32 healthy male subjects in their seventh decade (64 +/- 3 years) were divided into 2 groups based on maximal exercise tests (Bruce protocol). Group I consisted of 14 individuals who showed "excellent" work capacity (exercise duration of greater than or equal to 10 min, 11 +/- 1 min), and Group II 18 individuals with "fair" work capacity (7.5 +/- 1 min). None of them showed ECG evidence of ischemia in these tests. As compared with Group II, Group I showed lower casual and 24 hour ambulatory blood pressure (136 +/- 21 vs 114 +/- 11 mmHg for the average daily systolic pressure respectively), higher apo A-I levels (116 +/- 36 vs 139 +/- 20 mg/dl) and lower apo B/A-I ratios. There was no significant difference in triglycerides, total and HDL cholesterol or apo-B levels between these two groups. Body mass index and smoking habits were similar in Groups I and II. These results suggest that even in older persons, excellent physical fitness is related to lower cardiovascular risk factors.
Kawamoto
A
A
Department of Medicine and Geriatrics, Kochi Medical School.
Shimada
K
K
Matsubayashi
K
K
Kuzume
O
O
Chikamori
T
T
Kimura
S
S
Saito
N
N
Ozawa
T
T
D000368:Aged; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005080:Exercise Test; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010807:Physical Endurance; D012307:Risk Factors