Sedentary behaviour patterns and carotid intima-media thickness in Spanish healthy adult population.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to analyze the association between sedentary behaviour, as assessed by an accelerometer, and mean carotid intima-media thickness (IMT).


METHODS
The study included 263 healthy subjects belonging to the EVIDENT study (59.3% women). Carotid IMT was measured by carotid ultrasonography. Sedentary behaviour was measured objectively over 7 days using ActiGraph accelerometers. Thresholds of 10 consecutive minutes were used to establish sedentary bouts, and assess the number (n/day), and length ≥10 min (min/day).


RESULTS
Total sedentary time and sedentary time in bouts ≥10 min was higher in participants with a larger mean carotid IMT (>P75). Otherwise, this sedentary time in bouts ≥10 min parameter was weakly associated with augmented carotid IMT injury in the logistic regression model.


CONCLUSIONS
Total sedentary time and sedentary time in bouts ≥10 min, as assessed by accelerometer, was positively but weakly associated with carotid IMT. Equally, this sedentary time in bouts ≥10 min was associated with carotid injury, but disappears after adjusting for potential confounders. These findings support that reducing sedentary time and increasing breaks in bouts of sedentary time might represent a useful additional strategy in the cardiovascular disease prevention.


BACKGROUND
Clinical Trials.gov Identifier: NCT01083082.
Laboratorio de Ciencias de la Actividad Física, el Deporte y la Salud, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, USACH, Chile.
Antonio
A
García-Hermoso
Social and Health Care Research Center, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Cuenca, Spain. Electronic address: Vicente.Martinez@uclm.es.
Vicente
V
Martínez-Vizcaíno
School of Education, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Ciudad Real, Spain.
José Ignacio
JI
Recio-Rodríguez
Social and Health Care Research Center, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Cuenca, Spain.
Mairena
M
Sánchez-López
The Alamedilla Health Center, Castilla y León Health Service-SACYL, USAL, IBSAL, Salamanca, Spain.
Manuel Ángel
MÁ
Gómez-Marcos
The Alamedilla Health Center, Castilla y León Health Service-SACYL, USAL, IBSAL, Salamanca, Spain.
Luis
L
García-Ortiz
D056044:Actigraphy; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D013030:Spain; D013997:Time Factors
Accelerometer; Atherosclerosis; Cardiovascular risk factor; Sedentary