title: Leisure-time physical activity and cardiovascular disease mortality:  the Brisighella Heart Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study is to describe the relationship between self-rated physical activity during leisure time and cardiovascular disease mortality in 2936 individuals of the cohort of the Brisighella Heart Study, a prospective, population-based, longitudinal, epidemiological survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Long-term (1988-2000) prognostic significance of physical activity was determined after adjustments for age, sex, smoking habits, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and history of type 2 diabetes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At baseline, 377 (25.3%) male and 496 (34.3%) female participants reported scarce-null physical activity, whereas 1112 (74.7%) men and 951 (65.7%) women reported medium-intense physical activity. In the entire population, cardiovascular mortality was three times higher in participants with sedentary physical activity than in those with medium-intense physical activity (P = 0.0001). These results have been confirmed in both men (P = 0.0001) and women (P = 0.0028). A categorical distribution of the population according to age showed a higher risk of cardiovascular death associated with sedentary physical activity only in the younger male particupants (P = 0.0032).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  On the basis of our data, physical activity is inversely related to cardiovascular mortality in a sample of the rural Mediterranean population with a highest risk in inactive men aged less than 65 years.
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Aging and Kidney Diseases, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy. afgcicero@cardionet.it
authors: Arrigo F G
authors: AF
authors: Cicero
authors: Sergio
authors: S
authors: D'Addato
authors: Francesca
authors: F
authors: Santi
authors: Alienor
authors: A
authors: Ferroni
authors: Claudio
authors: C
authors: Borghi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000401:mortality* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult