What is the clinical evidence from this study?

Study design: Observational. Population: Cardiovascular disease. Intervention: Low physical activity. Primary outcome: Trends in deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs).

November 8, 2024

Impact of low physical activity on cardiovascular disease across regions and demographic groups: insights from the Global Burden of Disease Study

Key Result

Low physical activity-related cardiovascular deaths rose globally from 218,938 to 371,736 between 1990 and 2021, with disability-adjusted life years surging from 4.47 million to 7.29 million.

Study Design

Type

Observational

Multicenter

Yes

Structured PICO

How has the global burden of cardiovascular disease attributable to low physical activity changed from 1990 to 2021?

Population

Global population assessed for cardiovascular disease burden related to low physical activity from 1990 to 2021

Intervention

Low physical activity (exposure)

Outcome

Trends in deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) related to cardiovascular diseasehard clinical

The global burden of cardiovascular disease attributable to low physical activity has significantly increased from 1990 to 2021, particularly in lower-income regions and older adults.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of death globally, with low physical activity (LPA) as a significant modifiable risk factor. The prevalence of LPA remains high, necessitating a comprehensive assessment of its impact on CVD. METHODS AND RESULTS: We applied Joinpoint regression to assess trends in deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and employed autoregressive integrated moving average models to project future LPA-related burdens. From 1990 to 2021, CVD-related deaths due to LPA rose from 218 938 to 371 736 globally, with the most significant increases in Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. DALYs surged from 4.47 million to 7.29 million. Although age-standardized death rates showed a slight decline in high-income countries (-2.27% EAPC), lower-income regions experienced a steady rise. YLDs grew from 344 680 to 725 181, while YLLs increased from 4.13 million to 6.57 million, with older adults (75+ years) carrying the highest burden. CONCLUSION: The growing burden of CVD linked to LPA highlights the urgent need for interventions, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, to reduce future risks and improve public health outcomes.

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