Abstract 14394: The Decrease in Cardiorespiratory Fitness is Related to the Risk of Acute Myocardial Infarction and All-Cause Mortality during the Long-Term Follow-Up in Men

Abstract

Background: Limited information is available about the changes in cardiorespiratory fitness in the prediction of cardiovascular outcomes. Our aim was to examine the relation of change in cardiorespiratory fitness over a decade with the risk of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and all-cause death in a population based sample of men.

Methods: This population study was based on 585 men 42 to 60 years of age. Cardiorespiratory fitness was defined at baseline and 11-year follow-up examination using respiratory gas exchange analyzer during exercise testing.

Results: During 10 years of follow-up after the last examination, 81 AMIs and 92 all-cause deaths occurred. A decrease of over 15 % in cardiorespiratory fitness (VO_2max, mL/minute) was related to an increase in the risk of death (hazard ratio 1.84, 95 % confidence interval, CI 1.13 to 2.92, p=0.014), after adjustment for age, alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, serum low and high density lipoprotein cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, blood pressure, body mass index, energy expenditure of physical activity and baseline level of VO_2max. One metabolic equivalent (MET) decrease in cardiorepiratory fitness was associated with a 2.57-fold (95 % CI 1.54 to 4.29, p<0.001) adjusted risk of death. The respective risk of AMI was 1.79 (95 % CI 1.04 to 3.08, p=0.034) among men with decrease of over 15% in cardiorespiratory fitness.

Conclusions: A decrease in cardiorespiratory fitness during the long-term follow-up is related to the risk of AMI and all-cause mortality.