Objectively Measured Physical Activity And Framingham Risk Score In Healthy Older Adults

PURPOSE: To examine the association between physical activity (PA) measured via accelerometry and Framingham risk scores (FRS) in healthy older adults. METHODS: Measurements of systolic blood pressure (SBP), total cholesterol (TC), and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were taken in 133 older adults (33 males, 66.0 ± 6.7 yrs; 100 females, 63.3 ± 6.7 yrs). Participants reported use of blood pressure medications and smoking habits. FRS was calculated. Accelerometers (Actigraph 7164, Actigraph LLC, Fort Walton Beach, FL) were worn for 7 consecutive days during all waking hours. PA was categorized as time spent in moderate and vigorous activity (MVPA; >1952 cts/min). Participants were separated by gender and dichotomized into a low and high FRS group. Low and high FRS groups were <3.0 or >3.1 in females and <12.67 or >12.68 in males. Independent sample t-tests were conducted to compare MVPA across FRS groups. Hierarchical regressions were performed on the total group to determine contributions of MVPA to change in risk factors associated with the FRS (SBP, TC, HDL) while controlling for age and gender. RESULTS: Males had a mean FRS of 14.6 ± 17.2 and females had a mean FRS of 2.99 ± 2.21. Nine were smokers and 65 reported using BP medications. Females and males in the low FRS group had significantly lower MVPA than those in the high FRS group [females 16.4 ± 35.8 min vs. 35.8 ± 15.1 min; t(90)= 4.282, p<0.01; males 21.7 ± 20.6 min vs. 46.5 ± 33.2 min; t(30)= 2.455, p=0.02]. Males in the high FRS group had significantly higher SBP (p=0.015) and significantly lower HDL-C (p=0.003) compared to the low FRS group. Females in the high FRS group had significantly higher SBP (p<0.001), higher TC, (p=0.006), and significantly lower HDL-C (p=0.016) compared to the low FRS group. Regression analysis indicated that time spent in MVPA independently accounted for 3.6% of the variance in SBP [F(1,118)= −0.199, p=0.032] and 8.8% of the variance in HDL-C [F(1,118)= 0.310, p<0.001) but not TC. CONCLUSIONS: MVPA was associated with lower SBP and higher HDL-C, resulting in a lower FRS. These findings confirm previous findings using PA questionnaires that showed higher levels of MVPA decreased SBP and increased HDL-C levels. Increasing time spent in MVPA may reduce 10-year risk of coronary heart disease in healthy older adults.