title: Statin therapy, fitness, and mortality risk in middle-aged hypertensive male veterans.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hypertension often coexists with dyslipidemia, accentuating cardiovascular risk. Statins are often prescribed in hypertensive individuals to lower cardiovascular risk. Higher fitness is associated with lower mortality, but exercise capacity may be attenuated in hypertension. The combined effects of fitness and statin therapy in hypertensive individuals have not been assessed. Thus, we assessed the combined health benefits of fitness and statin therapy in hypertensive male subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Peak exercise capacity was assessed in 10,202 hypertensive male subjects (mean age = 60.4 ± 10.6 years) in 2 Veterans Affairs Medical Centers. We established 4 fitness categories based on peak metabolic equivalents (METs) achieved and 8 categories based on fitness status and statin therapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the follow-up period (median = 10.2 years), there were 2,991 deaths. Mortality risk was 34% lower (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.66; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.59-0.74; P < 0.001) among individuals treated with statins compared with those not on statins. The fitness-related mortality risk association was inverse and graded regardless of statin therapy status. Risk reduction associated with exercise capacity of 5.1-8.4 METs was similar to that observed with statin therapy. However, those achieving ≥8.5 METs had 52% lower risk (HR = 0.48; 95% CI = 0.37-0.63) when compared with the least-fit subjects (≤5 METs) on statin therapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The combination of statin therapy and higher fitness lowered mortality risk in hypertensive individuals more effectively than either alone. The risk reduction associated with moderate increases in fitness was similar to that achieved by statin therapy. Higher fitness was associated with 52% lower mortality risk when compared with the least fit subjects on statin therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kokkinos
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Faselis
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Myers
authors.forename: John Peter
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Kokkinos
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Doumas
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pittaras
authors.forename: Raya
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kheirbek
authors.forename: Athanasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Manolis
authors.forename: Demosthenes
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Panagiotakos
authors.forename: Vasilios
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Papademetriou
authors.forename: Ross
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fletcher
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D004219:District of Columbia / Q000453:epidemiology; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D005080:Exercise Test; D017079:Exercise Tolerance; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010809:Physical Fitness; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D058014:Veterans Health
chemical_list: D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors
keywords: blood pressure; fitness; hypertension; mortality risk; statins.