title: Physical activity and cardiovascular risk factors among elderly men in Finland, Italy, and the Netherlands.
abstract: Physical activity pattern and its relation with cardiovascular risk factors was investigated in 1,402 men aged 69-90 years who participated in the 30-year follow-up survey of the Finnish (Eastern and Western Finland), Italian (Montegiorgio and Crevalcore), and Dutch (Zutphen) cohorts of the Seven Countries Study. Physical activity was assessed with a validated self-administered questionnaire designed for retired men. Total physical activity varied largely within cohorts. Median total reported physical activity ranged from 50 minutes/day in Montegiorgio to 89 minutes/day in Crevalcore. Walking, gardening, and bicycling together contributed more than 70% of total physical activity in all cohorts. Depending on the definition of physical inactivity, the estimated prevalence of inactivity varied between 5% and 33% in Zutphen and between 18% and 68% in Montegiorgio. Total physical activity was inversely associated with resting heart rate (r= -0.11, p < 0.001) and was positively associated with high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (r = 0.08, p < 0.01) in pooled data. These associations remained statistically significant after adjustment for age, cohort, smoking, body mass index, and alcohol intake. Total activity was not associated with total cholesterol, non-HDL cholesterol, blood pressure, or body mass index. The authors conclude that physical activity may have a beneficial effect on HDL cholesterol levels in elderly men. Walking, gardening, and bicycling contribute substantially to their physical activity pattern.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physiology and Sports Medicine, School of Medicine, Utrecht University, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: F C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Bijnen
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Feskens
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Caspersen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Giampaoli
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Nissinen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Menotti
authors.forename: W L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Mosterd
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kromhout
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000209:etiology; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D005082:Physical Exertion; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D002784:Cholesterol