Does General Health Differ by Physical Activity Levels in Females Ages 55 and Older with Cardiovascular Disease?

Abstract Purpose: For older adults with existing cardiovascular disease (CVD), few studies have examined the benefits of varying levels of physical activity with respect to general health. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between general health and physical activity levels in women ages 55 and older with a history of CVD. Methods: This cross-sectional analysis used 2015 BRFSS data for females ages 55 and older with a history of CVD in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Oklahoma. This study analyzed data for three separate conditions related to CVD: stroke, heart attack, and coronary heart disease. Adjusted analysis was conducted to determine the relationship between general health and physical activity levels for each condition while controlling for high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, weight status, alcohol use, tobacco use, and age. Results: Across states, there was a low prevalence of CVD in females ages 55 and older (8-10%). Participants with CVD had a moderate prevalence of good general health (32-61%) and low prevalence of highly active physical activity (16-25%). Results of adjusted analysis for each of the three CVD related conditions determined good general health was significantly related to being highly active (moderate-to-large effect sizes) in four out of five states. Additionally, for participants with a history of coronary heart disease, good general health was significantly related to being active (large effect sizes) in four out of five states. Conclusions: Overall, good general health was found to be significantly related to active and highly active physical activity levels in population based samples for females ages 55 and older with CVD. Limitations of this study include inability to assess the duration and severity of illness over time. Despite the low prevalence of participants with a history of CVD across states, it is recommended that practitioners educate patients with CVD on the importance of engaging in higher levels of physical activity because of its relationship to general health.