title: Moderate-and-vigorous physical activity from adolescence to adulthood and subclinical atherosclerosis in adulthood: prospective observations from the European Youth Heart Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the independent associations between mean exposure to or the change in moderate-and-vigorous physical activity (PA) from adolescence to adulthood and subclinical atherosclerosis in adulthood.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a prospective cohort study among Danish boys and girls (N=277) followed for up to 12 years (age 15.7 (0.4) at baseline) enrolled in the European Youth Heart Study. PA intensity was objectively measured at baseline and follow-up, and ultrasonography was performed on the Carotid arteries at follow-up. Data on carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), Carotid Compliance and Young's Elastic Modules were used as outcome measures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the multivariable analyses (adjusted for personal-lifestyle and demographic factors) the mean exposure to moderate-and-vigorous PA from adolescence to adulthood was negatively associated with Young's Elastic Modules (β=-0.001×10(3) kPa (95% CI -0.0015 to -0.0002), p=0.02) and positively associated with Carotid Compliance (β=0.004 mm(2) kPa(-1) (95% CI 0.002 to 0.008), p=0.003) and cIMT (β=0.0003 mm (95% CI 0.00001 to 0.0007), p=0.013). Increases in moderate-and-vigorous PA from adolescence to adulthood were negatively associated with Young's Elastic Modules in adulthood (β=-0.00007×10(3) kPa (95% CI -0.0012 to -0.0001), p=0.01). Furthermore, participants with the largest decline in moderate-and-vigorous PA from adolescence to adulthood displayed significantly less compliant arteries compared with the remaining sample (p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High mean exposure to moderate-and-vigorous PA levels and increases herein were independently associated with lower levels of carotid arterial stiffness in adulthood.
authors.affiliation: Research Unit for Exercise Epidemiology, Institute of Sport Science and Clinical Biomechanics, Centre of Research in Childhood Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
authors.forename: Mathias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ried-Larsen
authors.affiliation: Research Unit for Exercise Epidemiology, Institute of Sport Science and Clinical Biomechanics, Centre of Research in Childhood Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grøntved
authors.affiliation: Research Unit for Exercise Epidemiology, Institute of Sport Science and Clinical Biomechanics, Centre of Research in Childhood Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
authors.forename: Peter Lund
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Kristensen
authors.affiliation: Research Unit for Exercise Epidemiology, Institute of Sport Science and Clinical Biomechanics, Centre of Research in Childhood Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
authors.forename: Karsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Froberg
authors.affiliation: Research Unit for Exercise Epidemiology, Institute of Sport Science and Clinical Biomechanics, Centre of Research in Childhood Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark Department of Sports Medicine, Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Lars Bo
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Andersen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D059289:Vascular Stiffness / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Cardiovascular; Cardiovascular epidemiology; Children's health and exercise; Exercise; Health promotion through physical activity