PHYSICAL-ACTIVITY AND LIPIDS AND LIPOPROTEINS IN AMERICAN-INDIANS AGES 45-74

Purpose: The Strong Heart Study is a study of cardiovascular disease a nd its risk factors among American Indian men and women aged 45-74 yr representative of 13 communities from Arizona (AZ), Oklahoma (OK), and North/South Dakota (N/SD). This investigation sought to characterize the amount and type of physical activity and to determine the associat ion between activity and lipids in this population. Methods: Total phy sical activity (occupational plus leisure) was assessed with a validat ed questionnaire. Results: Men and women from OK (21 +/- 19 and 16 +/- 15 h.wk(-1); respectively) and N/SD (23 +/- 21 and 17 +/- 17 h.wk(-1) ; respectively) had activity levels that were similar if not lower tha n the U. S. population with the AZ communities (17 +/- 21 and 10 +/- 1 4 h.wk(-1); respectively) being substantially loa er than the other tw o communities. Total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein choles terol (HDL-c), and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) levels were lower than the U.S. population. Conclusions: For most of the popu lation (diabetic men and nondiabetic men and women), activity was sign ificantly associated (P < 0.05) with apolipoprotein (apo) AI after con trolling for covariates. With levels of activity as low if not lower t han the general U.S. population coupled with high prevalence of obesit y and diabetes, efforts to increase physical activity in American Indi ans are warranted. Hopefully these increases in activity will result i n favorable lipid changes as well as decreasing the risk of diabetes w hich is epidemic in these populations.