INVESTIGATING THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN BODY COMPOSITION AND ALLCAUSE MORTALITY IN CARDIAC OUTPATIENTS INVOLVED IN AN EXERCISE-BASED SECONDARY PREVENTION PROGRAM

INVESTIGATING THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN BODY COMPOSITION AND ALLCAUSE MORTALITY IN CARDIAC OUTPATIENTS INVOLVED IN AN EXERCISE-BASED SECONDARY PREVENTION PROGRAMunfit patients (HR 1.63 [95% CI 1.28, 2.08; p\0.0001]), compared to those with higher CRF. This trend was confirmed by considering the association with ¿, where similar magnitudes were observed in the normal BF-unfit and high BF-unfit groups (HR 2.47 [95% CI 1.99, 3.06; p\0.0001], and HR 2.07 [95% CI 1.69, 2.54; p\0.0001], respectively). Conclusions: CRF is confirmed to be a powerful predictor of mortality. While a high BMI has been associated with an increased risk of death, maintaining physical fitness can mitigate this risk among overweight or obese people. The magnitude of this impact is significant for the general population, and even more for cardiac patients. Therefore, these findings support the fundamental role of CRF in exercise assessment and prescription within secondary prevention programs. References: Ross R, et al. Importance of Assessing Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Clinical Practice: A Case for Fitness as a Clinical Vital Sign: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2016. Ortega FB, et al. The Fat but Fit paradox: what we know and don’t know about it. Br J Sports Med. 2018. Raisi A, et al. A Moderate Walking Test Predicts Survival in Women With Cardiovascular Disease. Am J Prev Med. 2023.