Association of leisure-time physical activity on inflammation markers (C-reactive protein, white cell blood count, serum amyloid A, and fibrinogen,) in healthy subjects (from the ATTICA study)

Throughout the 20th century, many researchers focused their interest on prevention and therapy of cardiovascular diseases. Among the factors that may influence the occurrence of disease is the beneficial effect of physical activity, which has been discussed in several studies.(1-3) In addition, recent studies have provided evidence that inflammation plays a role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease.(4,5) Several investigators have addressed the association between fitness and the inflammation process,(6-9) but the strength of this relation has not been fully investigated. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of various levels of leisure-time physical activity on inflammation markers,, such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen, amyloid A, and white blood cell (WBC) counts, in a population-based sample of healthy adults.