title: Physical activity and cardiovascular mortality risk:  possible protective mechanisms?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The biological mechanisms through which increased physical activity or structured exercise training lowers the risk of recurrent cardiac events are incompletely understood. We examined the extent to which modification of primary risk markers explains the association between physical activity and cardiovascular death in participants with diagnosed cardiovascular disease (CVD).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In a prospective study of 1429 participants with physician-diagnosed CVD living in England and Scotland (age = 66.5 ± 11.1 yr (mean ± SD), 54.2% men), we measured physical activity and several risk markers (body mass index, total-to-HDL cholesterol ratio, diagnosed diabetes, systolic blood pressure, resting heart rate, C-reactive protein) at baseline. The main outcome was CVD death. There were a total of 446 all-cause deaths during an average of 7.0 ± 3.1 yr of follow-up, of which 213 were attributed to cardiovascular causes. Participation in moderate to vigorous physical activity at least three sessions per week was associated with lower risk of CVD death (hazard ratio = 0.61, 95% confidence interval = 0.38-0.98). Physically active participants demonstrated significantly lower levels of body mass index, diabetes, and inflammatory risk (C-reactive protein). Metabolic (body mass index, total-to-HDL cholesterol ratio, and physician-diagnosed diabetes) and inflammatory risk factors explained an estimated 12.8% and 15.4%, respectively, of the association between physical activity and CVD death.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Physical activity may reduce the risk of secondary CVD events, in part, by improving metabolic and inflammatory risk markers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hamer
authors.forename: Lee
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ingle
authors.forename: Sean
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Carroll
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stamatakis
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis / Q000502:physiology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002423:Cause of Death; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D002784:Cholesterol