Objective: To determine the relationship between maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), as determined by the Bruce protocol, and selected risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in an North Indian population.
Design: Cross-sectional design.
Setting: The study was carried out at Fortis Escorts Hospital, Amritsar, Punjab, India.
Patients: 105 CVD patients.
Interventions: All patients were subjected to a symptom-limited treadmill test and their fasting blood lipid parameters were measured.
Main outcome measures: (a) Body composition; (b) blood lipid parameters; (c) haemodynamic measurement (heart rate at rest and during exercise); (d) physical activity questionnaire (perceived functional ability, physical activity score and physical activity readiness).
Results: VO2max was found to be negatively associated with age (r=0.192), body mass index (r=0.163), waist circumference (r=0.197), hip circumference (r=0.208) and percentage of body fat (r=0.238); positively correlated with perceived functional ability (r=0.580), physical activity readiness (r=0.534), physical activity score (r=0.784), maximum heart rate (r=0.236) and metabolic equivalents (r=0.938); and showed no association with total cholesterol (r=0.102), triglycerides (r=0.079) and high-density lipoproteins (r=0.153).
Conclusion: VO2max was associated with body composition parameters but did not show any relation with blood lipid parameters. The most significant association was found between VO2max and the physical activity questionnaire.
Keywords: Cardiovascular diseases; aerobic capacity; atherosclerosis; blood lipid profile; cardiac rehabilitation,atherosclerosis; education; epidemiology; hypertensive heart disease; lipids; public health; risk factors; risk stratification.