Fitness, not fatness, predicts heart disease
Fitness may be a better predictor of heart disease than fatness in women, a new study suggests.
The US research, involving some 900 women having angiography for suspected
ischaemia, found that those with higher levels of fitness had a lower
risk of actual heart disease than those who were less fit. In contrast,
body mass index and fat distribution were not associated with the risk
of cardiovascular disease in this study.
Although the authors point out that their data on fitness were collected
from simple, self-reported questionnaires, they add that the findings
support previous work (JAMA 2004;292:1179-87).
In contrast, a prospective cohort study of almost 38,000 healthy women
found that body mass index predicted the development of diabetes better
than physical activity. The authors say: “These findings underscore
the critical importance of adiposity as a determinant of diabetes” (JAMA 2004;292:1188-94). |
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