Endothelial Function Linked to Cardio Risk in Sedentary

Cardiorespiratory fitness best predictor of endothelial function

THURSDAY, July 31 (HealthDay News) -- Endothelial function is significantly associated with cardiovascular risk in women in sedentary professions, with cardiorespiratory fitness being the best predictor of endothelial function, according to study findings published in the Aug. 1 issue of the American Journal of Cardiology.

Margaret F. Lippincott, M.D., and colleagues from the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., measured cardiovascular risk factors (vital signs, lipids, insulin, glucose, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and sex hormones) and endothelial function in 132 women in sedentary occupations without known cardiovascular disease, of whom 90 were normal weight or overweight and 42 were obese.

The researchers found a significant negative association between endothelial function, as assessed by brachial artery reactivity, and Framingham risk score. Peak oxygen consumption and age were the best independent predictors of endothelial function.

"In conclusion, endothelial function was significantly associated with cardiovascular risk in women with sedentary occupations, who were commonly overweight or obese," Lippincott and colleagues write. "Even in the absence of routine exercise, cardiorespiratory fitness, rather than conventional risk factors or body mass, is the dominant predictor of endothelial function and suggests a modifiable approach to risk."

Abstract
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