Original Article

Physical Activity and Physiologic Cardiac Remodeling in a Community Setting: the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).

Evrim B Turkbey¹, Neal W Jorgensen², Craig Johnson², Alain G Bertoni³, Joseph F Polak⁴, Ana V Diez Roux⁵, Russell P Tracy⁶, Joao A C Lima⁷, David A Bluemke^1,*

¹ National Institutes of Health, United States;
² University of Washington, United States;
³ Wake Forest University, United States;
⁴ Tufts Medical Center, United States;
⁵ University of Michigan, United States;
⁶ University of Vermont, United States;
⁷ Johns Hopkins University, USA

Correspondence to: , ; bluemked{at}nih.gov

Accepted 29 September 2009

Objective: Evaluate the association of physical activity with LV structure and function in the general population in a community setting.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: The Multiethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA), a population-based study of subclinical atherosclerosis.

Participants: A multiethnic sample of 4992 participants (age 45-84 years; 52% female) free of clinically apparent cardiovascular disease.

Interventions: Physical activity induces a beneficial physiologic cardiac remodeling in the cross-sectional study of non-athlete individuals.

Main outcome measures: LV mass, volumes and function were assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. Physical activity, defined as intentional exercise and total moderate and vigorous physical activity, was assessed by a standard semi quantitative questionnaire.

Results: LV mass and end diastolic volume were positively associated with physical activity [e.g., 1.4 g/m² (women) and 3.1 g/m² (men) greater LV mass in the highest category of intentional exercise compared to individuals reporting no intentional exercise; p=0.05 and <0.001, respectively]. Relationships were non-linear with stronger positive associations at lower levels of physical activity (test for non-linearity; p=0.02 and p=0.03, respectively). Cardiac output and ejection fraction were unchanged with increased physical activity levels. Resting heart rate was lower in women and men with higher physical activity levels [e.g., -2.6 beats/minute lower resting heart rate in the highest category of intentional exercise compared to individuals reporting no intentional exercise; p<0.001].

Conclusions: In a community-based population free of clinically apparent cardiovascular disease, higher physical activity levels were associated with proportionally greater LV mass and end-diastolic volume and lower resting heart rate.

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