Morning exercise linked to decreased incidence of cardiovascular illnesses

Researchers have found in a new study that Morning walks significantly decrease cardiovascular incidents. The study underlines potential value of chronoactivity in cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention as regardless of overall physical activity, morning exercise was linked to decrease the incidence of cardiovascular illnesses. 

The study has been published in European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.

In the entire world, cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality. It is anticipated that factors such as physical inactivity, obesity, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, high cholesterol and lipid levels, and the number of people living to old age would cause the prevalence of CVD to increase even more. The effect of daily physical exercise time on the risk of cardiovascular disease is poorly understood. Therefore, in order to investigate the relationships between chronoactivity and various CVD outcomes in the UK Biobank, Gali Albalak and colleagues undertook this study.

Over the course of a 7-day measurement period, physical activity data were gathered at the UK-Biobank using a triaxial accelerometer. Regardless of the mean daily intensity of the physical activity, groups of subjects with comparable chronoactivity were formed using K-means clustering. To calculate hazard ratios (HRs) contrasting the various clusters adjusted for age and sex (model 1), as well as baseline cardiovascular risk variables, multivariable-adjusted Cox-proportional hazard models were utilized (model 2). By mean activity level, sex, and self-reported sleep chronotype, additional stratified analyses were conducted.

The key findings of this study were:

Over the course of a 7-day measurement period, physical activity data were gathered at the UK-Biobank using a triaxial accelerometer. 

Regardless of the mean daily intensity of the physical activity, groups of subjects with comparable chronoactivity were formed using K-means clustering. 

To calculate hazard ratios (HRs) contrasting the various clusters adjusted for age and sex (model 1), as well as baseline cardiovascular risk variables, multivariable-adjusted Cox-proportional hazard models were utilized (model 2). 

By mean activity level, sex, and self-reported sleep chronotype, additional stratified analyses were conducted.

In conclusion, these current findings could imply that time-dependent physical activity treatments could be an additional helpful behavioral element to achieve maximal health benefits and reduce the risk of CVD after they have been verified and thoroughly metabolically described.

Reference: 

Albalak, G., Stijntjes, M., van Bodegom, D., Jukema, J. W., Atsma, D. E., van Heemst, D., & Noordam, R. (2022). Setting your clock: associations between timing of objective physical activity and cardiovascular disease risk in the general population. In European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. Oxford University Press (OUP). https://doi.org/10.1093/eurjpc/zwac239