Relationship Between Midlife Cardiovascular Health and Late-Life Physical Performance: The ARIC Study

B Gwen Windham; Kimystian L Harrison; Seth T Lirette; Pamela L Lutsey; Lisa A Pompeii; Kelley Pettee Gabriel; Silvia Koton; Lyn M Steffen; Michael E Griswold; Thomas H Mosley Jr

doi:10.1111/jgs.14732

Relationship Between Midlife Cardiovascular Health and Late-Life Physical Performance: The ARIC Study

J Am Geriatr Soc. 2017 May;65(5):1012-1018. doi: 10.1111/jgs.14732. Epub 2017 Feb 6.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Dept. of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics, University of Mississippi Medical Center.
² School of Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center.
³ Center of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, University of Mississippi Medical Center.
⁴ University of Minnesota School of Public Health.
⁵ University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health.
⁶ University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health Austin Campus.
⁷ Johns Hopkins University.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Objectives: To examine the association between midlife cardiovascular health and physical performance 25 years later.

Design: Cohort study (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study); multinomial logistic and logistic regression adjusted for demographic characteristics and clinical measures.

Setting: Four U.S. communities: Forsyth County, North Carolina; Washington County, Maryland; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Jackson, Mississippi.

Participants: Individuals aged 54.2 ± 5.8 at baseline (N = 15,744; 55% female, 27% black).

Measurements: Cardiovascular health was measured at baseline using the American Heart Association's Life's Simple 7 (LS7) score (0-14) and LS7 component categories (poor, intermediate, ideal) for each risk factor. The Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) was used to quantify physical function as ordinal (0-12) and categorical (low (0-6), fair (7-9), good (10-12) outcomes.

Results: Mean baseline LS7 score was 7.9 ± 2.4; 6,144 (39%) individuals returned 25 years later for the fifth ARIC examination, at which point the SPPB was administered. Of 5,916 individuals who completed the SPPB, 3,288 (50%) had good physical performance. Each 1-unit increase in LS7 score was associated with a 17% higher SPPB score (rate ratio (RR) = 1.17, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.15-1.19) and a 29% greater chance of having a late-life SPPB score of 10 or greater compared to SPPB score of less than 10 (RR = 1.29, 95% CI = 1.25-1.34). Ideal baseline glucose (RR = 2.53, 95% CI = 2.24-2.87), smoking (RR = 1.97, 95% CI = 1.81-2.15), blood pressure (RR = 1.70, 95% CI = 1.54-1.88), body mass index (RR = 1.51, 95% CI = 1.37-1.66), and physical activity (RR = 1.31, 95% CI = 1.20-1.43) had the strongest associations with late-life SPPB score, adjusting for other LS7 components.

Conclusion: Better cardiovascular health during midlife may lead better physical functioning in older age.

Keywords: cardiovascular; midlife; physical performance.

MeSH terms

Age Factors*
Black People / statistics & numerical data
Cardiovascular Diseases / ethnology
Cardiovascular Diseases / prevention & control*
Exercise*
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Prospective Studies
Risk Factors
White People / statistics & numerical data

Abstract

MeSH terms

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