Walking, Vigorous Activity, and Markers of Haemostasis and Inflammation in Healthy Men and Women

Abstract

The impact of walking on cardiovascular health, as compared with vigorous physical activity, remains controversial. Regular physical activity is related to lower levels of haemostatic and inflammatory markers although the role of exercise intensity is undetermined. PURPOSE: To examine whether there is an independent association between walking and markers of haemostasis and inflammation after controlling for vigorous physical activity. METHOD: Participants were 227 men and women (52 ± 3 yrs) drawn from the Whitehall II epidemiological cohort, which is a prospective study of British civil servants. Blood was drawn for the assessment of von Willebrand factor antigen (vWF), fibrinogen, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra), and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Self-reported levels and types of physical activity were recorded, including time spent walking per week and frequency of participation in vigorous physical activity. RESULTS: Multiple linear regression analyses, adjusted for age, body mass index, gender, smoking, alcohol, grade of employment, and frequency of vigorous physical activity revealed that time spent walking was independently related to vWF (β = −.14, p = .04), fibrinogen (β =−.13, p = .03), and TNF-α (β =−.14, p = .05). CONCLUSION: Regular walking is associated with lower levels of some haemostatic and inflammatory markers independently of vigorous physical activity in healthy men and women.