PHYSICAL-ACTIVITY AND RISK OF PERIPHERAL ARTERIAL-DISEASE IN THE GENERAL-POPULATION - EDINBURGH-ARTERY-STUDY

Study objective-To determine associations between physical activity at age 35-45 years with peripheral arterial disease and cardiovascular r isk factors at age 55-74 years. Design-Cross sectional survey of the g eneral population-Edinburgh Artery Study. The presence of peripheral a rterial disease was determined using the WHO/Rose questionnaire on int ermittent claudication, and the ankle brachial pressure index at rest and during reactive hyperaemia. Levels of physical activity undertaken at the time of the survey and at the times the subjects were aged 35- 45 years were measured by self administered recall questionnaire. Sett ing-City of Edinburgh, Scotland. Participants-Altogether 1592 men and women aged SS to 74 years, selected from the age-sex registers of 10 g eneral practices spread geographically and socioeconomically throughou t the city. Main results-Participation in moderate or strenuous activi ty when aged 35-45 years was reported by 66% of men and 40% of women. In men, but not in women, less peripheral arterial disease (measured b y an increasing trend in the ankle brachial pressure index) was found with increasing amounts of exercise at age 35-45 years (p<0.001). High er levels of exercise at age 35-45 years were associated with lower bl ood viscosity (p<0.05) and plasma fibrinogen levels (p<0.05) in men an d women aged 55-74 years, and also with higher current alcohol intake (p<0.001) and high density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations (P<0 .01) in women aged 55-74 years. After adjustment for age, sex, life-ti me smoking, social class, body mass index, and alcohol intake, the ass ociation between leisure activity aged 35-45 years and the ankle brach ial pressure index aged 55-74 years remained highly significant in men who had at some time smoked (p<0.001) but not in men or women who had never smoked (p>0.05) Conclusion-The risk of peripheral arterial dise ase, particularly among male smokers, is inversely related to previous physical activity in early middle age, suggesting a protective effect of exercise.