Association of leisure-time physical activity and sedentary behavior with carotid atherosclerosis morphology: The ARIC carotid-MRI study

Aarti Kumar; Ye Qiao; Bruce Wasserman; Kelley Pettee Gabriel; Pablo Martinez-Amezcua; Erin E Dooley; Keith M Diaz; Kelly R Evenson; A Richey Sharrett; Yiyi Zhang; Priya Palta

doi:10.1016/j.ajpc.2023.100505

Association of leisure-time physical activity and sedentary behavior with carotid atherosclerosis morphology: The ARIC carotid-MRI study

Am J Prev Cardiol. 2023 May 18:14:100505. doi: 10.1016/j.ajpc.2023.100505. eCollection 2023 Jun.

Authors

Aarti Kumar¹, Ye Qiao², Bruce Wasserman³, Kelley Pettee Gabriel⁴, Pablo Martinez-Amezcua⁵, Erin E Dooley⁴, Keith M Diaz⁶, Kelly R Evenson⁷, A Richey Sharrett⁵, Yiyi Zhang⁸, Priya Palta^{8

9}

Affiliations

¹ Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, United States.
² Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States.
³ Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.
⁴ Department of Epidemiology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States.
⁵ Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States.
⁶ Center for Cardiovascular and Behavioral Health, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States.
⁷ Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States.
⁸ Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States.
⁹ Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States.

Abstract

Objective: We evaluated the prospective association of midlife leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) and sedentary behavior (SB), and their temporal patterns, with MRI-measured carotid atherosclerotic morphology.

Methods: Participants enrolled in the Carotid MRI substudy (2004-2006) of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study and with self-reported assessments of LTPA and SB at visits 1 (1987-1989) and 3 (1993-1995) were included in this study. LTPA was ascertained using the ARIC/Baecke physical activity questionnaire and categorized according to the American Heart Association's metric of poor, intermediate, or ideal physical activity. SB, measured as TV viewing frequency, was categorized as high, medium, and low. We used multivariable adjusted linear and logistic regression models to examine the associations between midlife (visit 3 only) and persistent (visit 1 to 3) LTPA and TV viewing with carotid artery plaque burden and components.

Results: Among the 1,582 (mean age: 59 years, 43% male, 18% Black) participants, 45.7%, 21.7%, and 32.6% reported ideal, intermediate, or poor LTPA, respectively. High TV viewing was reported in 33.8% of participants, with 46.4% and 19.8% reporting medium or low TV viewing, respectively. Compared to poor LTPA, ideal LTPA in midlife was not associated with total wall volume (ß=0.01, 95% CI: -0.01, 0.03), maximum carotid wall thickness (ß=0.06, 95% CI: -0.08, 0.21), normalized wall index (ß=-0.01, 95% CI: -0.03, 0.01), or maximum stenosis (ß=-0.11, 95% CI: -1.98, 1.76). Low or middle, compared to high, TV viewing was also not associated with carotid artery measures of plaque burden. Compared to poor LTPA or high TV viewing, ideal LTPA (odds ratio (OR): 0.82, 95% CI: 0.55, 1.23) and low TV viewing (OR=0.90, 95% CI: 0.56, 1.44) was not associated with odds of lipid core presence, respectively.

Conclusion: Overall, this study does not provide strong evidence for an association between LTPA and SB with carotid plaque measures.

Keywords: Carotid MRI; Carotid atherosclerosis; Physical activity; Sedentary behavior.

Grants and funding

T35 AG044303/AG/NIA NIH HHS/United States