Association Found: Low Adolescent Cardiorespiratory Fitness Linked to Elevated Risk of Heart Disease in Middle Age, According to Study”
A prolonged follow-up study carried out at the University of Jyväskylä reveals a connection between low cardiorespiratory fitness during adolescence and an elevated risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases in middle age.
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Cardiorespiratory
This extensive 45-year study amalgamated fitness test data of the same participants from adolescence (12-19 years) with information on diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, and self-measurements of waist circumference from ages 37 to 44 and/or 57 to 64 years.
The study delved into the associations of cardiorespiratory, muscular, and speed-agility fitness with health conditions, both independently and by combining diseases and risk factors into a cardiometabolic risk score, indicating the overall burden of conditions.
The results indicated that low cardiorespiratory fitness in adolescence correlated with a greater burden of cardiometabolic conditions until ages 57 to 64 years. Additionally, among females, low adolescent cardiorespiratory fitness increased the risk of hypertension in middle age, while in males, low speed-agility was linked to increased waist circumference in late middle age.
The analyses controlled for common cardiometabolic disease risk factors such as age and body mass index, establishing cardiorespiratory fitness as an independent early indicator for cardiometabolic health later in life.
Perttu Laakso, a PhD student involved in the study, highlights concerns about the deteriorating fitness of young people affecting the future labor force. He emphasizes the importance of addressing barriers to physical activity in youth, whether through environmental investments promoting physical activity or resources for organized youth sports. Laakso asserts that the economic cost of such investments would be significantly lower than healthcare expenses related to cardiometabolic diseases.
Laakso concludes by emphasizing that it’s never too late to improve physical fitness, and evidence suggests that exercising at any age lowers the risk of cardiometabolic diseases.
