Cardiorespiratory Fitness as a Feature of the Metabolic Syndrome in Older Men and Women: The DR's EXTRA Study
- Maija Hassinen, MSc (Maija.Hassinen{at}uku.fi)1,
- Timo A. Lakka, MD1,,2,
- Kai Savonen, MD1,
- Hannu Litmanen, MD1,
- Leena Kiviaho, MSc1,
- David E. Laaksonen, MD2,,3,
- Pirjo Komulainen, MSc1 and
- Rainer Rauramaa, MD1,,4
- 1Kuopio Research Institute of Exercise Medicine, Finland
- 2Institute of Biomedicine, Department of Physiology, University of Kuopio, Finland
- 3Institute of Clinical Medicine, Department of Medicine, Kuopio University Hospital, Finland
- 4Department of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, Kuopio University Hospital, Finland
Abstract
Objective: We studied the associations of cardiorespiratory fitness with metabolic syndrome (MetS) in older men and women, because such data are limited in representative population samples.
Research Design and Methods: We studied a population sample of 671 men and 676 women aged 57-79 years at baseline of a randomized controlled intervention study. We assessed maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) by respiratory gas analysis during a maximal bicycle exercise test.
Results: VO2max had a strong, inverse and graded association with the risk of having MetS as defined by the National Cholesterol Education Program criteria. Men and women in the lowest third of VO2max had a 10.2 and 10.8-fold higher risk and those in the middle third had 2.9 and 4.7-fold higher risk (P<0.001 all) of MetS than those with the highest VO2max after multivariable adjustments. Factor analysis generated a principal factor that was strongly loaded by the main components of MetS and VO2max (-0.68 in men, -0.70 in women).
Conclusions: Low cardiorespiratory fitness is associated with MetS in older men and women. Our findings suggest that low cardiorespiratory fitness could be considered a feature of MetS.(ISRCTN45977199).
Footnotes
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- Received December 5, 2007.
- Accepted February 28, 2008.
- Copyright © American Diabetes Association
