Preventable Ischaemic Heart Disease and Stroke Deaths Attributable to Insufficient Physical Activity: A Comparative Risk Assessment Analysis in the Argentinian Population

POGGIO, ROSANA; GUTIERREZ, LAURA; IRAZOLA, VILMA; ADOLFO RUBINSTEIN

Int J Sports Exerc Med

ClinMed

Año: 2017

2469-5718

Background: Physical inactivity is estimated to be the 9thleading risk factor for all-cause mortality in Argentina. However,its impact on specific causes of death has not beenevaluated using nationally representative data.Design: We conducted a comparative risk assessment analysisto estimate the proportion and number of IHD and strokedeaths in Argentina that are attributable to different non-optimallevels of physical activity (PA).Methods: We obtained data on prevalence of different levelsof PA from the Argentinian National Survey of Risk Factorsin 2013 and used relative risks for IHD and stroke mortalityfrom previous meta-analyses. Deaths due to IHD andstroke, by age and sex, were obtained from the nationaldeath registry for the year 2010. We considered 4 categoriesof PA based on the metabolic equivalent tasks per minuteper week (METs.min/week): inactive, < 600, ≥ 600 to <1,600 and ≥ 1,600.Results: In Argentina, 76.8% (CI 95%; 75.8%-77.7%) of thepopulation older than 30-years-old engaged in < 1,600METs.min/week. This level of insufficient activity contributedto 26% of CVD deaths (IHD or stroke) (11,234 of 43,796deaths; 6,013 in men and 5,221 in women); 29% (7,292) ofIHD deaths; and 21% (3,942) of stroke deaths. The impactof insufficient PA was higher in individuals younger than70-years-old due to stronger associations between non-optimalPA and mortality from IHD and stroke.Conclusions: A non-optimal level of PA contributes substantiallyto the mortality burden of cardiovascular diseases in Argentina,especially in individuals under 70-years-old. More substantialresources should be directed toward enhancing builtand social environments which are essential to effectively increasePA, to improve health-related quality of life and reducethe burden of cardio-metabolic diseases in Argentina.