ASSOCIATION OF LEISURE-TIME PHYSICAL-ACTIVITY WITH THE RISK OF CORONARY HEART-DISEASE, HYPERTENSION AND DIABETES IN MIDDLE-AGED MEN AND WOMEN

Background, The association of physical activity and the risk of coron ary heart disease (CHD), hypertension and diabetes has previously been studied mostly in separate follow-up studies. The present analysis fo cuses on the association between physical activity and these three met abolic diseases in a representative adult cohort. Methods. The effect of the total amount and intensity of leisure time physical activity on the risk of the three diseases was studied in a cohort of 1340 men an d 1500 women aged 35-63 years. Results. During the 10 years of follow- up the incidence rates per 1000 person-years for CHD, hypertension and diabetes were 108, 142 and 64 for men and 75, 117 and 54 for women, r espectively. In the Cox proportional hazards model the men's total amo unt of activity was inversely associated with the risk of CHD and hype rtension. An age-and smoking-adjusted relative risk of 1.98 (95% confi dence interval [CI]:1.22-3.23) for CHD and age-adjusted risk of 1.73 ( 95% CI : 1.13-2.65) for hypertension were found for the lowest third t otal activity group compared with the highest third of total activity, Vigorous activity once or more often a week was inversely associated with the risk of hypertension. For the women both a higher total amoun t of activity and weekly vigorous activity had an inverse association with the risk of diabetes. An age-adjusted relative risk of 2.64 (95% CI : 1.28-5.44) for diabetes was found for the lowest third activity g roup compared with the highest third. Conclusions. The results suggest a preventive effect of leisure time physical activity on CHD, hyperte nsion and diabetes. This effect may differ among middle-aged men and w omen and the relative importance of the total amount and the intensity may vary depending on the outcome measure.