Increased levels of cardiorespiratory fitness in men may help delay the development of dyslipidemia, according to a study published May 11 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Yong-Moon Mark Park, MD, and colleagues used data from the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study to assess levels of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides in a total of 11,418 male patients who were observed during health examinations between 1970 and 2006. Patients were excluded for a history of myocardial infarction, stroke and cancer.

The results of the study showed that cardiorespiratory fitness was inversely associated with total cholesterol, low-density lipoproteins, triglycerides, and non-high-density lipoproteins, but positively associated with high-density lipoproteins. Further, men in early twenties to their early sixties or mid-seventies with higher cardiorespiratory fitness had healthier lipid profiles than their counterparts who had low cardiorespiratory fitness. Higher cardiorespiratory fitness aided male patients in maintaining healthier lipid and lipoprotein profiles.

“These findings suggest that improving cardiorespiratory fitness levels may delay the onset of dyslipidemia,” said Park. “Promoting this healthy lifestyle factor may also help to reduce the risk of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.”

“These characteristics are not typical of the patients for whom an exercise prescription may be considered by physicians in daily clinical practice,” stated Usman Baber, MD, MS, and Paolo Boffetta, MD, MPH, in an accompanying editorial comment. “The favorable benefits of cardiorespiratory fitness on changes in lipoprotein levels observed by Park et al. in this low-risk cohort might plausibly translate to even larger effects in higher-risk patients.”

Keywords: Atherosclerosis, Cardiovascular Diseases, Cholesterol, Cholesterol, HDL, Cholesterol, LDL, Dyslipidemias, Exercise, Life Style, Lipoproteins, Lipoproteins, HDL, Lipoproteins, LDL

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