The decline in physical activity in aging people is not modified by gender or the presence of cardiovascular disease

BACKGROUND: A physically active lifestyle decreases the progression of atherosclerosis and consequently reduces cardiovascular mortality. However, activity levels are hampered by aging. The association between aging and physical inactivity might be gender-specific or be modified by the presence of cardiovascular disease (CVD). In this study, we investigated if the association between aging and physical inactivity was different between men and women and between primary and secondary prevention patients. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of three primary care samples including primary and/or secondary prevention patients (total n = 4726). Baseline data for sample 1 were collected in the years 2013-14, for sample 2 in 2009-10 and for sample 3 in 2009. Activity levels were measured by the patient reported Rapid Assessment of Physical Activity questionnaire. A multilevel regression analysis was used to explore the association between aging and physical inactivity, adjusted for confounders. We examined potential effect modification by gender and the presence of CVD on the association between aging and physical inactivity. RESULTS: Multilevel regression revealed that aging was consistently associated with physical inactivity in three out of three samples. This association was, however, not modified by gender or the presence of CVD. CONCLUSIONS: Cardiovascular risk management interventions should aim at increasing or maintaining physical activity levels in aging primary care population. This study does not support the notion that extra emphasis should be put in targeting men or women, or people with or without the presence of CVD.