Associations between estimated aerobic fitness and cardiovascular risk factors in adults with different levels of abdominal obesity

Background We investigated the association between estimated aerobic fitness and cardiovascular risk factors, and how the association is affected by abdominal obesity. Design Cross-sectional population study. Methods Participants comprised 3820 adults aged 25 to 64 years from the FINRISK 2002 Study in Finland. Aerobic fitness was estimated using a non-exercise test. Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), blood pressure, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides, HDL-C to total cholesterol ratio, and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) levels were measured by standardized methods. Results After controlling for age, smoking and alcohol consumption, aerobic fitness was inversely associated with systolic (P=0.027) and diastolic (P < 0.001) blood pressure, total cholesterol (P=0.009), triglycerides (P=0.001), and GGT (P < 0.001), and directly associated with HDL-C (P < 0.001) and HDL-C to total cholesterol ratio (P < 0.001) in men. In women, inverse associations were found for diastolic blood pressure (P=0.027) and triglycerides (P < 0.001), and direct association for HDL-C (P < 0.001) and HDL-C to total cholesterol ratio (P < 0.001). Waist-to-hip ratio was independently associated with a better risk factor profile in both sexes. Interactions were found between fitness and WHR in relation to total cholesterol (P=0.001), HDL-C to total cholesterol ratio (P=0.005), triglycerides (P=0.001), and systolic (P=0.009) and diastolic (P < 0.001) blood pressure among men only. Conclusions Our data suggest that good estimated aerobic fitness is associated with a better cardiovascular risk factor profile, regardless of the level of abdominal obesity in Finnish men and women. Men in the highest WHR third seem to have more benefit of aerobic fitness on their cardiovascular risk levels than men with lower WHR. (c) 2005 The European Society of Cardiology.