Effect of physical activity on the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and left ventricular hypertrophy in apparently healthy adults.
OBJECTIVE
Metabolic syndrome and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) carry high cardiovascular risks. We performed a cross-sectional study to evaluate the effect of different amounts of physical activity (PA) on the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and LVH in our study population.


METHODS
This study was a cross-sectional survey of 1494 apparently healthy subjects: 776 men with a mean age of 57.6 + 12.3 years, and 718 women with a mean age of 56.4+ 11.0 years. The metabolic syndrome was defined according to modified criteria of the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III. LVH was diagnosed by electrocardiography voltage criteria. The amount of PA was determined with a questionnaire and stratified into low, moderate or high levels.


RESULTS
The prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its components was as follows: metabolic syndrome, 15.5%; obesity, 29.7%; high triglyceride level, 21.7%; low high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol level, 35.9%; high blood pressure, 56.9%; and impaired fasting glucose, 13.1%. A high amount of PA (> 14 km per week walking distance) was significantly associated with lower prevalence of metabolic syndrome [odds ratio (OR) = 0.53, p = 0.001], lower prevalence of obesity (OR = 0.56, p = 0.001), triglyceridemia (OR = 0.58, p = 0.007) and LVH (OR=0.37, p = 0.006).


CONCLUSIONS
This study suggests that high amounts of PA are inversely correlated with the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and LVH in men and women.
Cardiovascular Division, Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, 7 Chung Shan South Road, Taipei, Taiwan.
Dao-Fu
DF
Dai
Juey-Jen
JJ
Hwang
Chi-Ling
CL
Chen
Fu-Tien
FT
Chiang
Jiunn-Lee
JL
Lin
Kwan-Lih
KL
Hsu
Chuen-Den
CD
Tseng
Yung-Zu
YZ
Tseng
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004562:Electrocardiography; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology
D008076:Cholesterol, HDL