Cardiovascular fitness and risk factors of healthy African Americans and Caucasians.
BACKGROUND
African Americans have a higher prevalence of and mortality rates from cardiovascular disease than Caucasians. One important risk factor for cardiovascular disease is poor cardiovascular fitness. We quantified associations between fitness and related primary risk factors for cardiovascular disease in healthy African Americans and Caucasians.


RESULTS
Participants included African American (n = 91) and Caucasian (n = 51) men and women aged 18 to 45 years with a body mass index less than 38 kg/m2, fasting blood glucose less than 126 mg/dL, and blood pressure less than 140/90 mm Hg. Fitness, waist and hip circumference, percent body fat, fasting blood glucose, insulin, lipid profiles, and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured. The majority of African Americans (57.1%) were low-fair fitness (Caucasians, 31.4%), and only 20.8% were good/high fitness (Caucasians, 39.2%). The number of cardiovascular disease risk factors increased with decreasing fitness, and CRP was negatively associated with fitness in both groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Low fitness may characterize apparently healthy African Americans as at risk for cardiovascular disease. Including fitness as a risk factor may improve early identification of at-risk African Americans. Importantly, prescribing exercise as medicine and promoting regular physical activity to improve fitness is essential among African Americans.
Zeno
Stacey A
SA
Department of Military and Emergency Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA. szeno@usuhs.mil
Kim-Dorner
Su-Jong
SJ
Deuster
Patricia A
PA
Davis
Jennifer L
JL
Remaley
Alan T
AT
Poth
Merrily
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015444:Exercise; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D010809:Physical Fitness; D012307:Risk Factors; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
D002097:C-Reactive Protein