Exercise Levels Drop Before Cardiovascular Events

Background: Moderate to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) is linked to lower cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. The CARDIA (Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults) study, which included repeated PA assessments, was used to examine MVPA trajectories surrounding incident CVD. Objective: To evaluate MVPA trajectories across adulthood, including pre- and post-CVD changes, and demographic variability. Design: Longitudinal cohort and nested case-control analyses. Methods: The cohort analysis included 3068 participants with ≥8 MVPA measurements, excluding measurements after CVD events. The nested case–control analysis examined MVPA before and after CVD events. Of 332 with incident CVD, 236 had post-event data and formed the case group. Control patients were matched for age, gender, race, and “event time” (based on the event time of the paired case). Vigorous-intensity activity was defined as ≥6 metabolic equivalent of tasks (METs), and moderate-in more...