title: Long-term physical activity is associated with reduced arterial stiffness in older adults: longitudinal results of the SAPALDIA cohort study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  longitudinal analyses of physical activity (PA) and arterial stiffness in populations of older adults are scarce. We examined associations between long-term change of PA and arterial stiffness in the Swiss Cohort Study on Air Pollution and Lung and Heart Diseases in Adults (SAPALDIA).
  
  
  METHODS
  we assessed PA in SAPALDIA 2 (2001-03) and SAPALDIA 3 (2010-11) using a short questionnaire with a cut-off of at least 150 min of moderate-to-vigorous PA per week for sufficient activity. Arterial stiffness was measured oscillometrically by means of the brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) in SAPALDIA 3. We used multivariable mixed linear regression models adjusted for several potential confounders in 2,605 persons aged 50-81.
  
  
  RESULTS
  adjusted means of baPWV were significantly lower in persons with sufficient moderate-to-vigorous PA (i) in SAPALDIA 2 but not in SAPALDIA 3 (P = 0.048) and (ii) in both surveys (P = 0.001) compared with persons with insufficient activity in both surveys. There was a significant interaction between sex and the level of change in PA concerning baPWV (P = 0.03). The triples of parameter estimates describing the association between level of PA change and baPWV were not significantly different between the two sex-specific models (P = 0.07).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  keeping up or adopting a physically active lifestyle was associated with lower arterial stiffness in older adults after a follow-up of almost a decade. Increasing the proportion of older adults adhering to PA recommendations incorporating also vigorous PA may have a considerable impact on vascular health at older age and may contribute to healthy ageing in general.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, Division of Sports and Exercise Medicine, University of Basel, 4052 Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Endes
authors.affiliation: Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Schaffner
authors.affiliation: Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Seraina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Caviezel
authors.affiliation: Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dratva
authors.affiliation: Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Christine S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Autenrieth
authors.affiliation: Divison of Chronic Disease Epidemiology, Department of Epidemiology, Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wanner
authors.affiliation: Divison of Chronic Disease Epidemiology, Department of Epidemiology, Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Pneumology and Respiratory Cell Research, University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Daiana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stolz
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Regional Hospital Lugano, Lugano, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pons
authors.affiliation: Zürcher Höhenklinik, Wald-Faltigberg, Faltigberg-Wald, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Turk
authors.affiliation: Lungenpraxis Hirslanden Klinik Aarau, Aarau, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bettschart
authors.affiliation: Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schindler
authors.affiliation: Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Nino
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Künzli
authors.affiliation: Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Probst-Hensch
authors.affiliation: Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, Division of Sports and Exercise Medicine, University of Basel, 4052 Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Arno
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schmidt-Trucksäss
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D055109:Ankle Brachial Index; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D016014:Linear Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D063177:Pulse Wave Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D059289:Vascular Stiffness; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: arterial stiffness; cardiovascular disease; longitudinal; older people; physical activity; pulse wave velocity