Lin GM, Liu PY, Tsai KZ, Lin YK, Huang WC, Lavie CJ
Abstract
Background: The relationship of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) with subclinical atherosclerosis affected by the body adiposity has been observed in children, whereas this relationship remains unclear in young adults. Methods and Results: A total of 1520 military recruits, aged 18-40 years, were included in Taiwan in 2018-2020. All subjects underwent detailed physical and blood laboratory examinations. CRF was evaluated by time for a 3000 m run, and subclinical atherosclerosis was evaluated by intima-media thickness of the bulb of the left common carotid artery (cIMT) utilizing high-resolution ultrasonography. Multivariable linear regression analysis with adjustments for age, sex, cigarette smoking, alcohol intake, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, high- and low-density lipoprotein cholesterols, fasting glucose, waist circumference, serum uric acid and serum triglycerides were utilized to determine the correlation between CRF and cIMT. CRF was independently correlated with cIMT (standardized beta: 0.11, p < 0.001). Of the cardiometabolic risk markers, serum triglycerides were the only independent risk marker of cIMT (standardized beta: 0.063, p = 0.03). In addition, the association of CRF with cIMT did not differ between those with a body mass index (BMI) >= 25 kg/m(2) and those with BMI < 25 kg/m(2) (standardized beta: 0.103 and 0.117; p = 0.01 and 0.005, respectively). Conclusions: In physically active young men and women, there was an inverse association of cIMT with CRF, which was observed in both overweight/mild obesity and normal-weight individuals, highlighting the importance of endurance capacity on reducing risk of early atherosclerosis and implying that the moderation effect of body adiposity might not be present in this population.
