Higher percentage of body fat mass independently predicted lower moderate to vigorous physical activity levels, with each additional percentual point representing -1.12 min/day of MVPA (p=0.003).
Cross-Sectional (n=165)
Does body composition correlate with physical activity levels and handgrip strength in cardiovascular disease patients in a phase III cardiac rehabilitation program?
Higher percentage of body fat mass, rather than BMI, is independently correlated with lower moderate to vigorous physical activity levels in phase III cardiac rehabilitation patients.
Effect estimate: -1.12 min/day per 1% increase in %BFM
p-value: p=0.003
Abstract Introduction In cardiovascular disease (CVD) patients, higher levels of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and lower levels of sedentary behaviour (SB) are linked to reduced cardiovascular risk and mortality. Contrarily, being overweight is cardiovascular risk factor with a negative health impact. Understanding whether there is a relationship between physical activity (PA) patterns, body composition, and muscle strength in CVD patients is important for developing effective cardiac rehabilitation (CR) strategies. Purpose To observe possible correlations between MVPA/SB levels, BMI/percentage of body fat mass (%BFM) and handgrip strength in CVD patients attending a phase III CR program. Methods CVD patients were assessed at CR phase III entry. MVPA (minutes/day) and SB (% waking hours) were measured using an accelerometer. Handgrip strength was assessed with a dynamometer and %BFM and body mass index (BMI) were measured using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Demographic and clinical information were retrieved. Statistical analysis utilized Pearson or Spearman correlation, independent-samples t-tests, and linear regression. Results A total of 165 CVD patients completed all assessments (61 ± 10 y/o, 84.2% male, 87.6% were diagnosed with coronary artery disease, and 12.1% with heart failure). According to BMI, 21.2% had normal weight, 50.3 % were overweight and 28.5% had obesity. The majority of patients (89.7%) meet PA guidelines for MVPA (48.67 ± 25.93 min/day) with SB time averaging 11.07 ± 1.23 hours/day. Women had higher %BFM compared to men (41.83 ± 5.59% vs 29.98 ± 5.14%, p 0.001). For the exploratory analysis, a negative correlation was found between %BFM and MVPA (p = 0.007, r = -0.210), and also between %BFM and handgrip strength (p 0.001, r= -0.210). No significant correlations were found for SB. Between those who did and did not meet PA guidelines for MVPA ( 21.4 min/day), %BFM was significantly superior in non-compliers (35.05 % vs 31.48 %, p = 0.043). No significant differences were observed for BMI. A multivariate regression model showed that both age and %BFM independently predicted average MVPA (F(3,161)=6.79, p 0.001; Adjusted R² = 0.096) with each additional year representing -0.65 min/day of MVPA (p = 0.001) and each additional percentual point in %BFM representing -1.12 min/day of MVPA (p = 0.003). The initial link between %BFM and handgrip strength was eliminated after adjusting for sex (F(3.161)=58.65, p 0.001, adjusted R² = 0.513), likely due to the sex-related differences in body composition. Conclusion Higher %BFM was independently correlated with lower MVPA levels, suggesting that adiposity, more than BMI, might be a key determinant of PA levels in phase III CR patients. Inconsistent BMI findings highlight the need to use body-composition measures beyond BMI to enhance risk stratification and guide targeted interventions.
Sa et al. (2026) conducted a cross-sectional in Cardiovascular disease (n=165). Percentage of body fat mass (%BFM) was evaluated on Moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) (-1.12 min/day per 1% increase in %BFM, p=0.003). Higher percentage of body fat mass independently predicted lower moderate to vigorous physical activity levels, with each additional percentual point representing -1.12 min/day of MVPA (p=0.003).