Background: Increasing evidence suggests that time spent sedentary (ST) predicts increasing cardiometabolic risk independent of other activity. We objectively measured activity levels in active older adults, and examined the association between ST and the continuous Metabolic Syndrome Risk Score (cMSy).
Methods: Older adults (age >= 65) were recruited from a Master’s Ski Team, a group of active older adults that undergo organized group training. Daily activity levels (sedentary, ST; light, LT; moderate/vigorous activity, MT) were recorded with accelerometers (SenseWear) worn for 7 days continuously. Waist circumference, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein, systolic blood pressure and fasting glucose were measured and cMSy was calculated using principal component analysis (sum of eigenvalues ≥ 1.0).
Results: 54 subjects (age=71.4±0.6 years, 30 women and 24 men) were recruited. Subjects demonstrated high levels of physical activity (LT= 2.6±0.2 and MT=3.9±0.2 hours per day). In our final parsimonious model, ST showed a significant positive association with increasing cMSy (Standardized β=0.312±0.115, R2 = 0.36, p<0.001), independent of age, biological sex and other measures of physical activity (LT and MT).
Conclusions: Despite high levels of activity, ST demonstrated a strong association with cMSy. This suggests that even in active older adults, ST is associated with increasing cardiometabolic risk.
K.M. Madden: None. J.M. Chase: None.
Allan M. McGavin Foundation
