Metabolic syndrome, obesity, and mortality: impact of cardiorespiratory fitness.

Objective: To determine in normal weight, overweight, and obese men the risk of all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality associated with the metabolic syndrome (MetS) and the influence of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF).

Research Design And Methods: This observational cohort study included 19,173 men who underwent a clinical examination, including a maximal exercise test. MetS was defined according to National Cholesterol Education Program guidelines.

Associations of muscle strength and fitness with metabolic syndrome in men.

Purpose: To examine the associations for muscular strength and cardiorespiratory fitness with the prevalence of metabolic syndrome among men.

Methods: Participants were 8570 men (20-75 yr) for whom an age-specific muscular strength score was computed by combining the body weight adjusted one-repetition maximum measures for the leg press and the bench press. Cardiorespiratory fitness was quantified by age-specific maximal treadmill exercise test time.

Liver fat is not a marker of metabolic risk in lean premenopausal women.

We examined the independent associations among abdominal adipose tissue (AT) depots, liver fat, cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), and metabolic risk factors in 86 lean premenopausal women. We measured abdominal AT and liver fat by computed tomography (CT), and CRF by a maximal treadmill exercise test. Liver fat was not related to any abdominal AT depot, metabolic risk factor, or CRF (P > .

Longitudinal changes in cardiorespiratory fitness: measurement error or true change?

Purpose: This study examined the thesis that the reported Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study (ACLS) mortality reductions associated with improved cardiorespiratory fitness were because of measurement error of serial treadmill tests. We tested the research hypothesis that longitudinal changes in cardiorespiratory fitness of the ACLS cohort were a multivariate function of changes in self-report physical activity (SR-PA), resting heart rate, and body mass index (BMI).

Methods: We used the results of three serial maximal treadmill tests (T1, T2, and T3) to evaluate the serial changes in cardiorespiratory fitness of 4675 men.

Cardiorespiratory fitness attenuates the effects of the metabolic syndrome on all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality in men.

Background: The metabolic syndrome is a prevalent condition that carries with it an increased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and mortality.

Objective: To determine the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and mortality in healthy men and in those with the metabolic syndrome.

Methods: The sample included 19 223 men, aged 20 to 83 years, who received a clinical evaluation between 1979 and 1995 with mortality follow-up through December 31, 1996.

Eight weeks of moderate-intensity exercise training increases heart rate variability in sedentary postmenopausal women.

Background: Regular exercise is associated with increased heart rate variability (HRV). However, results from studies examining the effect of exercise training on HRV in postmenopausal women are inconclusive. In addition, the effect of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on HRV remains a subject of speculation.

Dose Response to Exercise in Women aged 45-75 yr (DREW): design and rationale.

Introduction And Purpose: Physical inactivity in postmenopausal women contributes to a rise in atherogenic risk factors associated with the metabolic syndrome. Although regular physical activity positively contributes to health, inactivity progressively increases with age. The Dose Response to Exercise in Women aged 45-75 yr (DREW) study is designed to investigate the effect of different amounts of exercise training on cardiorespiratory fitness and risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in postmenopausal women at moderately increased risk of CVD.

Cardiorespiratory fitness is associated with lower abdominal fat independent of body mass index.

Purpose: To determine whether, for a given body mass index (BMI), men with high cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) have lower waist circumference (WC) and less total abdominal, abdominal subcutaneous, and visceral adipose tissue (AT) compared with men with low CRF.

Methods: Subjects were categorized into HIGH CRF (N = 169) and LOW CRF (N = 124) groups based on age and CRF measured using a maximal treadmill test. Total abdominal, abdominal subcutaneous and visceral AT were measured by computerized tomography.

Exercise capacity and body composition as predictors of mortality among men with diabetes.

Objective: To quantify the relation of fitness to mortality among men with diabetes, adjusted for BMI and within levels of BMI.

Research Design And Methods: In this observational cohort study, we calculated all-cause death rates in men with diabetes across quartiles of fitness and BMI categories. Study participants were 2,196 men with diabetes (average age 49.

Reduction of C-reactive protein levels through use of a multivitamin.

Purpose: Elevated C-reactive protein levels are associated with the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. We examined whether multivitamins reduce C-reactive protein levels.

Methods: We performed a post hoc subgroup analysis of a 6-month, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Complex multivitamin supplementation improves homocysteine and resistance to LDL-C oxidation.

Objective: We previously reported in an open-label pilot trial that a 24-ingredient multivitamin formula favorably influenced homocysteine concentration and LDL-C oxidation indices following 24 weeks of supplementation. Our current aim was to more thoroughly examine this same formula in a randomized, placebo-controlled, clinical study.

Methods: We examined 182 participants for selected plasma vitamin concentrations and clinically relevant variables including homocysteine, lipids and LDL-C oxidation indices at baseline and six months.

Comparison of coronary artery calcium detected by electron beam tomography in patients with to those without symptomatic coronary heart disease.

Although the presence of coronary artery calcium (CAC) has been associated with the prevalence and incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD), it is unclear if this association has a threshold or a continuous relation. The aim of this research was to explore the relation between CAC, as detected by electron beam tomography (EBT), and CHD in a cross-sectional study of women and men who presented to a single center for elective screening with EBT from 1995 to 1998. Of 17,967 participants, patients with CHD had higher CAC levels than those without CHD.

Heart rate recovery following maximal exercise testing as a predictor of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality in men with diabetes.

Objective: Heart rate recovery (HRR) is an independent prognostic indicator for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all-cause mortality in healthy men. We examined the association of HRR to CVD-related and all-cause mortality in men with diabetes.

Research Design And Methods: In this cohort study we examined 2,333 men with documented diabetes (mean age 49.

Visceral fat and liver fat are independent predictors of metabolic risk factors in men.

We examined the independent associations among abdominal adipose tissue (AT), liver fat, cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), and lipid variables in 161 Caucasian men who had a wide variation in adiposity. We measured AT and liver fat by computed tomography and CRF by a maximal exercise test on a treadmill. Visceral AT remained a significant (P View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Heart rate reserve as a predictor of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in men.

Unlabelled: This study examined the relationship of heart rate reserve (HRR: maximal heart rate - resting heart rate) and cardiovascular disease mortality (CVD) or all-cause mortality among healthy men.

Methods: Subjects were 27,459 healthy men, age 20-59 yr, who completed a maximal treadmill exercise test and answered a health questionnaire at the baseline examination. We followed study participants from the baseline visit to the date of death or December 31, 1996, for survivors.

Field testing of physiological responses associated with Nordic Walking.

This study compared the physiological responses (oxygen consumption and energy expenditure) of Nordic Walking to regular walking under field-testing conditions. Eleven women (M age = 27.1 years, SD = 6.

Improvements in blood rheology after cardiac rehabilitation and exercise training in patients with coronary heart disease.

Objectives: Our purpose was to examine the effect of cardiac rehabilitation and exercise training on blood rheology in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). Although increased blood and plasma viscosity have been associated with an increased risk of CHD, the effects of cardiac rehabilitation and exercise training on blood rheology in patients with CHD are uncertain.

Methods: We assessed whole blood effective viscosity (mu), hematocrit standardized blood viscosity (mu45)), red blood cell transport efficiency (tau(rbc)), and plasma viscosity (PV) in 23 nonsmoking patients with CHD before and after a phase II cardiac rehabilitation and exercise training program.