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Evidence summaries

Low Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Obesity as Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Diseases

Low cardiorespiratory fitness may be a strong and independent predictor of CVD and all-cause mortality and comparable in importance with that of diabetes mellitus and other CVD risk factors. Level of evidence: "C"

According to a prospective observational study 1 of 25 714 adult men who received medical examination during 1970 to 1993, with mortality follow-up to December 1994, Relative risks for all-cause mortality in obese men ranged from 2.3 (95% CI 1.7 to 2.9) for men with hypertension to 4.7 (95% CI 3.6 to 6.1) for those with cardiovascular disease at baseline. Relative risk for all-cause mortality in obese men with low fitness was 3.1 (95% CI 2.5 to 3.8) and in obese men with diabetes 3.1 (95% CI 2.3 to 4.2). Low fitness was an independent predictor of mortality in all body mass index groups after adjustment for other mortality predictors.

    References

    • Wei M, Kampert JB, Barlow CE, Nichaman MZ, Gibbons LW, Paffenbarger RS Jr, Blair SN. Relationship between low cardiorespiratory fitness and mortality in normal-weight, overweight, and obese men. JAMA 1999 Oct 27;282(16):1547-53. [PubMed]

Primary/Secondary Keywords