Association of muscle strength with early markers of cardiovascular risk in sedentary adults

Abstract

Abstract Objective To assess the association between muscle strength and early cardiovascular risk (CVR) markers in sedentary adults. Materials and methods A total of 176 sedentary subjects aged 18–30 years were enrolled. Body mass index and fat percentage were calculated, and waist circumference, grip strength by dynamometry, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure, and maximal oxygen uptake by VO 2max were measured as CVR markers. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to assess associations between muscle strength and CVR markers. Results Inverse correlations were found between muscle strength and adiposity ( r = −.317; P = .001), waist circumference ( r = −.309; P = .001), systolic blood pressure ( r = −.401; P = .001), and mean arterial pressure ( r = −.256; P = .001). Subjects with lower levels of muscle strength had a 5.79-fold (95% CI 1.57–9.34; P = .008) risk of having higher adiposity levels (≥25%) and a 9.67-fold (95% CI = 3.86–19.22; P 2max (≤31.5 mL/kg/min −1 ). Conclusions In sedentary adults, muscle strength is associated to early manifestations of CVR. It is suggested that muscle strength testing is added to routine measurement of VO 2max and traditional risk factors for prevention and treatment of cardiovascular risk.