High levels of leisure-time sports activities were associated with a significantly reduced risk of incident myocardial infarction in women (HR 0.21; 95% CI 0.05-0.87), but not in men.
Cohort (n=6,976)
Do moderate or high levels of sports activities in leisure time reduce incident myocardial infarction in middle-aged men and women from the general population?
Moderate or high levels of leisure-time sports activities are associated with a significantly reduced risk of incident myocardial infarction in women, but this protective effect is attenuated and non-significant in men after adjusting for other major risk factors.
Effect estimate: HR 0.21 (95% CI 0.05-0.87)
BACKGROUND: To examine sex-specific associations between sports activities in leisure time and incident myocardial infarction (MI) in a representative population sample in Germany. DESIGN: Cohort study. METHODS: The study was based on 3501 men and 3475 women (aged 45-74 years) who participated in one of the three MONICA Augsburg surveys between 1984 and 1995 and were followed up until 2002. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated from Cox proportional hazard models. RESULTS: A total of 295 cases of incident MIs among men and 91 among women were registered during a median follow-up period of 8.6 years. In both sexes, moderate and high level of sports activities in leisure time were associated with a reduced risk of incident MI after age and survey adjustment; the HRs of MIs associated with a moderate and high level of sports activities in leisure time were 0.68 (0.49-0.96), and 0.71 (0.50-0.99) for men and 0.42 (0.21-0.84), and 0.18 (0.04-0.74) for women. Further adjustment for other major coronary heart disease risk factors attenuated the HRs: in moderately and highly active men, the HRs were not significant anymore (HRs 0.78 and 0.84, respectively), but the HRs remained significantly reduced in moderately and highly active women (HR 0.49; 95% CI, 0.24-1.00 and HR 0.21; 95% CI, 0.05-0.87, respectively). CONCLUSION: Moderate or high levels of sports activities in leisure time are associated with a significantly reduced risk of MI in women, but not men from the general population.
Meisinger et al. (2007) conducted a cohort in General population (n=6,976). Sports activities in leisure time vs. Lower levels of sports activities was evaluated on Incident myocardial infarction (HR 0.21, 95% CI 0.05-0.87). High levels of leisure-time sports activities were associated with a significantly reduced risk of incident myocardial infarction in women (HR 0.21; 95% CI 0.05-0.87), but not in men.