Association of physical activity with coronary risk factors and physical ability: twenty-year follow-up of a cohort of Finnish men.
The association of physical activity with coronary risk factors and self-reported physical ability was studied in a cohort of 331 healthy Finnish men aged 45-64 years at entry, representing the survivors of a 20-year longitudinal study from 1964 to 1984. Baseline physical activity was not significantly related to levels of coronary risk factors at subsequent 5-year, 10-year or 20-year follow-up examinations. The 72 who increased their physical activity during the study period smoked less at 20-year follow-up than those who remained sedentary (p = 0.03). No other significant associations between 20-year changes of physical activity and coronary risk factors were seen. Although baseline physical activity was not, physical activity and exercise at 20-year follow-up were positively related to indices of functional capacity assessed at the end of the study period, when the subjects had reached a mean age of 73 years. It is concluded from this long-term study that a relative increase of physical activity between middle and old age is associated with both less smoking and a maintained high level of physical ability.
Marti
B
B
Department of Epidemiology, National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland.
Pekkanen
J
J
Nissinen
A
A
Ketola
A
A
Kivelä
S L
SL
Punsar
S
S
Karvonen
M J
MJ
D000368:Aged; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005387:Finland; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D005082:Physical Exertion; D010809:Physical Fitness; D012307:Risk Factors