PURPOSE: Some studies of leisure time physical activity find a cardiovascular benefit for moderate activity, whereas others find benefit only for regular vigorous activity. We examined the relation between physical activity and 3-year progression of @entity2998 . METHODS: Baseline examinations were conducted during 1995 to 1996 with two follow-up examinations at 1.5-year intervals. Intima-media thickness of the common carotid arteries was determined by B-mode ultrasound in a cohort of 500 randomly sampled @entity1 and @entity1 , aged 40 to 60 years, who were asymptomatic for @entity65 . Sedentary leisure activity was defined as the lowest quartile of a general activity measure, whereas vigorous activity was defined as aerobic activity > or = 3.5 times per week. The remainder defined the moderate activity group. Analyses were adjusted for confounding variables. RESULTS: The mean (+/- SE) age- and sex-adjusted rates of progression of intima-media thickness declined from 14.3 +/- 1.7 microns per year in sedentary subjects, to 10.2 +/- 1.0 microns per year in moderately active subjects, to 5.5 +/- 1.5 microns per year in vigorously active subjects (P for trend <0.0001), and remained statistically significant after adjustment for other confounding factors (P for trend = 0.0004). Compared with the moderate activity group, the vigorous activity group had lower body mass index and resting heart rate and increased high-density lipoprotein @entity165 level, whereas the sedentary group had an increased resting heart rate. Workplace activity was not protective. CONCLUSION: Physical activity during leisure is inversely related to the progression of @entity731 in the carotid artery. This benefit appears to increase throughout the activity continuum.

Leisure time physical activity and early @entity731 : the Los Angeles XXXX Study.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['women', 'men'] @entity2998 :: ('MESH:D002340', 'Disease') :: ['carotid atherosclerosis'] @entity731 :: ('MESH:D050197', 'Disease') :: ['atherosclerosis'] @entity65 :: ('MESH:D002318', 'Disease') :: ['cardiovascular disease'] @entity165 :: ('MESH:D002784', 'Chemical') :: ['cholesterol']
@entity731 :: (MESH:D050197,Disease) :: ['Atherosclerosis']
