Background: Physical activity has long been associated with reduced risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). In this work we evaluated the effect of physical activity on lipid levels, in a sample of cardiovascular disease free people.
Methods: The ATTICA study is a population-based cohort that has randomly enrolled 2772 individuals, stratified by age-gender (according to the census 2001), from the greater area of Athens, during 2001-2002. Of them, 1376 were men (45 +/- 12 years old, range: 18-86) and 1396 women (45 +/- 13 years old, range: 18-88). We assessed the relationship between physical activity status (measured in kcal/min expended per day) and several lipids, after taking into account the effect of several characteristics of the participants.
Results: 578 (42%) men and 584 (40%) women were classified as physically active. Compared to sedentary physically active women had significantly lower levels of total serum cholesterol (p < 0.05), LDL (p < 0.05) and oxidized LDL cholesterol (p < 0.05), triglycerides (p < 0.05), apolipoprotein B (p < 0.05), and higher levels of HDL cholesterol (p < 0.05) and apolipoprotein A1 (p < 0.05). Similar associations were observed in men, but the benefits did not reach statistical significance. However, when we adjusted for age, smoking habits and body mass index, physical activity was only significantly associated with higher HDL-cholesterol (p < 0.05) and apolipoprotein A1 (p < 0.05) levels, in women, but not in men.
Conclusions: Substantial independent increases in HDL-cholesterol and apolipoprotein A1 concentrations were observed in women, but not in men, in a Mediterranean cohort.