Do physical activity levels influence the cardiovascular-related physiological characteristics of postmenopausal women?
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to determine whether cardiovascular-related physiological differences existed among postmenopausal women in relation to their physical activity levels.


METHODS
Participants were postmenopausal women (n= 101) resident in North Queensland. A self-report questionnaire determined recent exercise history. Anthropometric and physiological measures were obtained. Participants also performed a six-minute graded exercise test to determine cardiorespiratory fitness.


RESULTS
Compared with the women who exercised, those women who did not exercise had a lower level of cardiorespiratory fitness (P= 0.00) and higher resting diastolic blood pressure (P= 0.01), BMI (P= 0.00) and WHR (P= 0.02). Discriminant function analysis found that a combination of BMI and cardiorespiratory fitness discriminated between the two groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Postmenopausal women who performed moderate-intensity physical activity had more favourable cardiovascular-related physiological characteristics. Health professionals should encourage more postmenopausal women to participate in moderate-intensity activity to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Barnett
Fiona
F
Occupational Therapy Discipline, School of Public Health, Tropical Medicine and Rehabilitation Science, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia. fiona.barnett@jcu.edu.au
D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000502:physiology*; D049629:Waist-Hip Ratio