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Background: Physical inactivity is an important risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Aim: To identify factors associated with physical inactivity in Chilean adults. Material and Methods: Participants from the Chilean Health Survey (5,133 individuals) were included in this study. Physical activity was measured using the Global physical activity questionnaire (GPAQ). Physical inactivity was defined as < 600 MET. min.week−1 of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity. Logistic regression was used to identify correlates of physical inactivity. Results: The main finding of this study were that women (odds ratio (OR): 1.51 [95% confidence intervals (CI): 1.32-1.72]) were more likely to be inactive compared to men and that older adults were more likely to be inactive than their younger or middle age counterparts (OR: 3.06 [95% CI: 2.45-3.82]). Other correlates of physical inactivity were individuals with obesity (OR: 1.43 [95% CI: 1.20-1.70]), diabetes (OR: 1.96 [95% CI: 1.61-2.38]), hypertension (OR: 1.72 [95% CI: 1.50-1.97]), metabolic syndrome (OR: 1.42 [95% IC: 1.18-1.70]), a low education level (OR: 1.26 [95% CI: 1.06-1.49]) and higher levels of sedentary behavior (OR: 2.77 [95% CI: 2.36-3.25]). Conclusions: Women, older people and sedentary subjects with chronic non-transmissible conditions are at higher risk of being physically inactive.

Background: Sedentary behavior is a main risk factor for cardiovascular disease and mortality. Aim: To investigate the association between sedentary behavior and metabolic and cardiovascular risk factors. Material and methods: We assessed 322 participants aged between 18 to 65 years. Physical activity and sedentary behavior were measured with accelerometers (Actigraph®). Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, percentage of body fat, diet and blood markers (glucose, lipid profile, insulin and HOMA-IR) were measured with standardized protocols. Results: Thirty four percent of participants were physically inactive and spent on average 8.7 h/day on sedentary activities. Per one hour increase in sedentary behavior there were significant adverse changes in glucose (4.79 mg/dl), insulin (2.73 pmol/l), HOMA-IR (0.75), BMI (0.69 kg/m2), waist circumference (1.95 cm), fat mass (1.03 %), total cholesterol (9.73 mg/dl), HDL-cholesterol (-3.50 mg/dl), LDL-cholesterol (10.7 mg/dl) and triglycerides (12.4 mg/dl). These findings were independent of main confounding factors including total physical activity, dietary factors, BMI and socio-demographics. Conclusions: The detrimental effect of sedentary behaviors on cardiometabolic and obesity-related traits is independent of physical activity levels. Therefore, reducing sedentary time should be targeted in the population apart from increasing their physical activity levels.

Background: Sedentary behavior is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and mortality. Aim: To investigate whether the associations between sedentary behavior and cardiometabolic markers differs across physical activity levels. Materials and methods: Cross sectional study of 314 participants aged 18 to 65 years. Body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference were measured, and body fat was derived from the sum of four skinfolds. Physical activity was measured objectively using accelerometers (Actigraph GT1M, USA ®). A fasting blood sample was obtained to measure glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR, lipid profile and high sensitive C reactive protein (hsCRP). Those participants with an activity level >600 MET.min-1.week-1 were classified as physically active. Results: Thirty four percent of participants were physically inactive and spent an average of 8.7 h.day-1 in sedentary pursuits. Physically inactive individuals had poorer cardiometabolic health than their physically active counterparts. Per one hour decrease in overall sedentary behavior, there was a significant improvement in glucose (-8.46 and -4.68 mg.dl-1), insulin (-2.12 and -1.77 pmol.l-1 ), HOMA-IR (-0.81 and -0.56) BMI (-0.93 and -0.62 kg.m-2) and waist circumference (-2.32 and -1.65 cm) in physically active and inactive participants, respectively . Conclusions: Being physically active may modify the detrimental effects of sedentary behavior on cardiometabolic and obesity-related traits.

Background: A high level of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is an important protector against cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Aim: To explore the association of CRF with several metabolic markers and estimate the variation of these parameters by an increase of 1 MET change in CRF. Material and Methods: Cross-sectional study of 447 adults (56% women) without medical history of cardiometabolic diseases. Physical activity evaluated using accelerometry, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, blood glucose and insulin and lipid profile were measured. HOMA-IR was calculated with fasting glucose and insulin levels. The submaximal Chester Step Test was used to measure CRF. Results: CRF was significantly associated with the level and intensity of physical activity, and all metabolic markers (p-trend < 0.05), except with diastolic blood pressure. It was estimated that 1-MET increase in CRF is associated with waist circumference (β -0.32 cm), fat mass (β -0.22%), insulin (β -0.67 pmol.l-1), HOMA-IR (β -0.17) and HDL cholesterol (β +1.46 mg.dl-1). All these associations were independent of main covariates such as age, sex, education, smoking and body mass index. Conclusions: A higher level of CRF is inversely associated with several metabolic markers that are risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Senor Editor Los beneficios de la actividad fisica a nivel individual y poblacional han sido bien documentados, no solo en terminos de salud, sino que tambien en terminos de sostenibilidad. Lamentablemente en Chile, solo 3 de cada 10 ninos menores de 5 anos cumple con las recomendaciones internacionales de actividad fisica (3 horas diarias de actividad fisica moderada a vigorosa), mientras que en los adolescentes solamente 2 de cada 10 las cumple (1 hora diaria de actividad fisica moderada a vigorosa).(1) En poblacion adulta, los datos actuales no son mas alentadores, ya que solamente un 15% de los adultos reporta realizar actividad fisica en el tiempo libre segun la ultima Encuesta Nacional de Salud 2009-2010.(2) Recientemente la Organizacion Mundial de la Salud (OMS) ha lanzado una estrategia para desarrollar un nuevo Plan de Accion Global para Promover Actividad Fisica.(3) Este nuevo Plan sera presentado en mayo de 2018 en la 71va Asamblea Mundial de Salud de la OMS. Este plan se desarrollara por medio de un trabajo colaborativo entre organismos internacionales, gobiernos, academia y sociedad civil. El objetivo de este plan sera generar una vision, objetivos estrategicos y acciones o intervenciones para todos los actores y grupos de interes, que, al ser implementadas colectivamente, disminuyan los niveles de inactividad fisica globalmente. Leer mas...

Sr. Editor: Recientemente, se ha conformado una red de investigacion internacional denominada “Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance” (AHKGA) (1), la que tiene por finalidad sintetizar la mejor evidencia cientifica disponible sobre una serie de indicadores (comportamiento individual, niveles de influencia, estrategias e inversion economica) relacionados con los niveles de actividad fisica en ninos y adolescentes. Chile participara por primera vez en la segunda version de esta matriz global que incluye el reporte de 38 naciones, la que sera interpretada y evaluada por un comite de expertos de diferentes paises y sera publicada el proximo ano. Los dominios a evaluar dentro de esta matriz son: 1) Actividad fisica global; 2) Transporte activo; 3) Participacion en deportes; 4) Juego activo; 5) Conducta sedentaria; 6) Sobrepeso y obesidad; 7) Condicion fisica; 8) Entorno familiar y pares; 9) Entorno escolar; 10) Comunidad y medio ambiente; y 11) Politicas publicas. Despues de evaluar la evidencia disponible a nivel nacional en cada una de estas areas, el comite procedera a otorgar una calificacion basada en el grado de cumplimiento en cada dominio, apoyandose en las metas establecidas por AHKGA, tal como se hizo en su primera version.(1) Leer mas...

Sr. Editor: En el ano 2010, la Organizacion Mundial de la Salud estimo que 3,2 millones de personas mueren cada ano en el mundo debido a “inactividad fisica”, convirtiendose en el cuarto factor de riesgo mas importante asociado a mortalidad1. No obstante, durante la ultima decada el “sedentarismo” se ha convertido en otro potente factor de riesgo asociado a enfermedades cronicas no transmisibles y mortalidad1-3. Si bien ambos conceptos (“inactividad fisica” y “sedentarismo”) se relacionan4, es crucial entender que no son lo mismo1, y que ambos actuan de forma independiente sobre nuestra salud5. La conducta sedentaria es definida como la carencia de movimiento durante las horas de vigilia a lo largo del dia1, y es caracterizada por actividades que sobrepasan levemente el gasto energetico basal (~1 MET), como: ver television, estar acostado o sentado3,4. Las actividades sedentarias son la primera categoria de un continuum de clasificacion de actividad fisica (AF) basado en la intensidad de esta: 1) Actividades de tipo sedentarias (1 a 1,5 MET); 2) AF ligera (1,5 a 2,9 MET); 3) AF moderada (3 a 5,9 MET); y 4) AF vigorosa (? 6 MET). Leer mas...