Does Lifestyle Exercise After a Cardiac Event Improve Metabolic Syndrome Profile in Older Adults?

BACKGROUND: Exercise is a common recommendation to reduce the risk factors of metabolic syndrome, yet there are limited data on the influence of lifestyle exercise after cardiac events on metabolic syndrome factors. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether lifestyle exercise improves metabolic syndrome profile in older adults after a cardiac event. METHODS: Participants were from a post-cardiac-event lifestyle exercise study. Five metabolic syndrome factors were assessed: waist circumference, triglycerides, high-density lipids, glucose, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Objective measures of exercise were obtained from heart rate monitors over a year. Logistic regression was used to determine whether participants who engaged in the minimum recommendation of 130 hours of exercise or greater during the 12-month period improved their metabolic syndrome profile by improving at least 1 metabolic syndrome factor. RESULTS: In the sample of 116 participants (74% men; average age, 67.5 years), 43% exercised at the recommended amount (≥130 h/y) and 28% (n = 33) improved their metabolic syndrome profile. After controlling for confounding factors of age, gender, race, diabetes, functional ability, and employment, subjects who exercised at least 130 hours a year were 3.6 times more likely to improve at least 1 metabolic syndrome factor (95% confidence interval, 1.24-10.49). Of the 28% who improved their metabolic syndrome profile, 72% increased their high-density lipoprotein and 60.6% reduced their waist circumference and glucose. CONCLUSIONS: After a cardiac event, older patients who engage in lifestyle exercise at the recommended amount have improvement in their metabolic syndrome profile.