BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:

• Ideal Cardiovascular Health (ICH) refers to
  • Health behaviors (smoking, body mass index, physical activity, and diet) and
  • Cardiometabolic markers (plasma total cholesterol, fasting glucose, blood pressure)
• Acosta-Manzano et al. (Maturitas, 2018) sought to determine, in perimenopausal women, whether sedentary time and physical fitness
  • Are associated with ICH
  • Can discriminate between the presence or absence of ICH

METHODS:

• Observational cross-sectional study (2014-2016)
  • Fitness League Against MENopause Cost (FLAMENCO study)
  • Perimenopausal women
• Objective assessments were used for both sedentary time and physical fitness
• Sedentary time assessment
  • Triaxial accelerometer attached to the hip for 9 days
• Physical fitness assessment
  • Senior Fitness Test battery
  • Handgrip strength
  • Sit-and-reach tests
• ICH status was created from
  • The cut-off values of several health behaviors (smoking, body mass index, physical activity, and diet)
  • Classical cardiometabolic markers (plasma total cholesterol and fasting glucose, and blood pressure)
• Health Status was
  • Categorized into non-ideal cardiovascular health status (non-IHC status) and ideal cardiovascular health status (ICH status) based on the ideal health metrics

RESULTS:

• 122 perimenopausal women were included
  • Age: 52.6 ± 4.2 years old
• Compared to non-IHC status, perimenopausal women with ICH status
  • Spent less time in sedentary behaviors
  • Had higher scores in other tests of wellbeing and fitness
• Cut-off values of <460 min/day for sedentary time and higher values of cardiorespiratory fitness, upper-body flexibility, and lower-body muscular strength are associated with a better cardiovascular profile and associated ICH status

CONCLUSION:

• The authors suggest that while more research is needed, in the perimenopausal population sedentary time and flexibility help to identify those at higher CVD risk

Learn More – Primary Sources:

Association of sedentary time and physical fitness with ideal cardiovascular health in perimenopausal women: The FLAMENCO project

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Diet and/or Exercise Intervention: What Leads to the Greatest Weight Loss in Menopause?

How Does Exercise Affect Health Postmenopause?

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