Abstract
BackgroundEvidence suggests that physical activity (PA) has a beneficial effect on high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) and triglycerides. However, observational studies show contrasting results for this association between different ethnic groups. It is unclear whether this is due to differences in the PA composition. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship of the total PA, along with its intensity and duration, with HDL and triglycerides in a multi-ethnic population.MethodsThe study population was sampled from the SUNSET study and included: 502 European- Dutch, 338 Hindustani-Surinamese, and 596 African-Surinamese participants living in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. We assessed PA with the SQUASH questionnaire. We calculated age-sex-adjusted betas, geometric mean ratios (GMRs), and prevalence ratios (PRs) to assess the relationship of PA with HDL and triglycerides.ResultsIn the adjusted models, the highest total PA tertile compared to the lowest tertile was beneficially associated with HDL (beta: 0.08, 95% CI: 0.00, 0.16 and PR low HDL 0.59, 95% CI: 0.39, 0.88) and triglycerides (GMR: 0.93, 95% CI: 0.83, 1.03 and PR: 0.56, 95% CI: 0.29, 1.08) for the African-Surinamese. No statistically significant associations appeared for total PA among the European-Dutch and Hindustani-Surinamese. The adjusted models with the intensity score and HDL showed beneficial associations for the European-Dutch (beta: 0.06, 95% CI: 0.03, 0.10) and African-Surinamese (beta: 0.06, 0.02, 0.10), for log triglycerides for the European-Dutch (beta: -0.08, 95% CI: -0.12, 0.03), Hindustani-Surinamese (beta: -0.06, 95% CI: -0.16, 0.03), and African-Surinamese (beta: -0.04, 95% CI: -0.10, 0.01). Excepting HDL in African-Surinamese, the duration score was unrelated to HDL and triglycerides in any group.ConclusionsActivity intensity related beneficially to blood lipids in almost every ethnic group. The activity duration was unrelated to blood lipids, while the total PA 'summary score' was associated only with blood lipids for African-Surinamese. The difference in total PA composition is the most probable explanation for ethnic differences in the total PA association with blood lipids. Multi-ethnic observational studies should include not only a measure of the total PA, but other measures of PA as well, particularly the intensity of activity.
Highlights
Evidence suggests that physical activity (PA) has a beneficial effect on high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) and triglycerides
Two recent multi-ethnic studies that looked into PA and blood lipids found associations that were different from previous evidence [6,7]
Study population We used data from the SUNSET study, which was set up to gain insight into the cardiovascular risk profiles of people aged 35-60 years in three ethnic groups living in Amsterdam, the Netherlands: Hindustani-Surinamese (South Asian origin), African-Surinamese (African origin) and European-Dutch origin
Summary
Evidence suggests that physical activity (PA) has a beneficial effect on high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) and triglycerides. Observational studies show contrasting results for this association between different ethnic groups. It is unclear whether this is due to differences in the PA composition. Physical activity (PA) is beneficially associated with blood lipids in European populations, especially HDL cholesterol and triglycerides [1,2,3,4]. There is inconsistent evidence that this is the case in the few observational studies that include ethnic minority groups. Two recent multi-ethnic studies that looked into PA and blood lipids found associations that were different from previous evidence [6,7]. There was no correlation of HDL cholesterol levels with a PA index for either South Asian or white European adults in Newcastle, UK
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