Article Impact Level: HIGH Data Quality: STRONG Summary of British Journal of Sports Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2024-108484 Dr. Emmanuel Stamatakis et al.
Points
- This research analyzed the relationship between vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity (VILPA) and the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) among non-exercisers, focusing on sex differences.
- Women showed a near-linear dose-response relationship between VILPA and reduced risks of MACE, myocardial infarction, and heart failure. For example, women engaging in 3.4 minutes of daily VILPA had a 45% lower risk of MACE and a 67% lower risk of heart failure.
- The dose-response relationship between VILPA and MACE was less evident in men, with no statistically significant risk reduction observed.
- Even small amounts of daily VILPA (1.2–1.6 minutes) significantly reduced cardiovascular risks in women, suggesting its potential as an accessible and impactful activity for those who do not engage in structured exercise.
- The results highlight VILPA as a promising, low-commitment strategy for cardiovascular disease prevention, particularly for women who do not engage in formal exercise routines.
Summary
This study aimed to examine sex differences in the dose-response association between vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity (VILPA) and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), including myocardial infarction, heart failure, and stroke. The analysis was conducted using data from the UK Biobank, involving 13,018 women and 9,350 men who self-reported their physical activity habits. The researchers used multivariable-adjusted cubic splines to explore the associations of daily VILPA duration with MACE and its subtypes among non-exercisers, defined as individuals who reported no leisure time exercise and no more than one recreational walk per week. They also conducted similar analyses among exercisers.
Results showed that, over a mean follow-up of 7.9 years, there were 331 cases of MACE in women and 488 in men. In women, a near-linear dose-response relationship between VILPA and MACE was observed, significantly reducing the risk of all MACE, myocardial infarction, and heart failure as daily VILPA duration increased. Women with a median daily VILPA duration of 3.4 minutes had hazard ratios (HR) of 0.55 (95% CI, 0.41 to 0.75) for all MACE and 0.33 (95% CI, 0.18 to 0.59) for heart failure. For a daily VILPA duration of 1.2 to 1.6 minutes, the HRs were 0.70 (95% CI, 0.58 to 0.86) for all MACE, 0.67 (95% CI, 0.50 to 0.91) for myocardial infarction, and 0.60 (95% CI, 0.45 to 0.81) for heart failure. In contrast, men exhibited a less clear dose-response relationship, with no statistically significant results.
In conclusion, the study found that even small amounts of VILPA were associated with a significantly lower risk of MACE, myocardial infarction, and heart failure in women who do not engage in regular exercise. These findings suggest that VILPA could be an important physical activity target for cardiovascular disease prevention, particularly for women unable or unwilling to engage in formal exercise.
Link to the article: https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2024/10/25/bjsports-2024-108484
References Stamatakis, E., Ahmadi, M., Biswas, R. K., Cruz, B. del P., Thøgersen-Ntoumani, C., Murphy, M. H., Sabag, A., Lear, S., Chow, C., Gill, J. M. R., & Hamer, M. (2024). Device-measured vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity (Vilpa) and major adverse cardiovascular events: Evidence of sex differences. British Journal of Sports Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2024-108484
