Accelerometer-Determined Steps/Day and Metabolic Syndrome

BackgroundThere is a lack of knowledge about the relationship between objectively measured physical activity and the odds of having metabolic syndrome (MetS) and cardiovascular (CVD) risk factors.PurposeThis study aims to investigate associations between accelerometer-determined steps/day and the odds of having MetS and its individual CVD risk factors in the U.S. population.MethodsAdults in 2005–2006 NHANES with accelerometer-determined steps/day and measurements necessary to determine MetS by AHA/NHLBI were included (n=1446, 48.2% men, 33.5% with MetS, mean age=47.5 years, mean BMI=28.7 kg/m2). Logistic regression was used to estimate the odds of having MetS or abnormal CVD risk factors from incrementally higher levels of steps/day.ResultsMetS prevalence decreased as steps/day increased (p<0.0001), with 55.7% of participants in the lowest categoric level of steps/day and 13.3% in the highest level having MetS. The odds of having MetS were 10% lower for each additional 1000 steps/day (OR=0.90, 95% CI=0.86, 0.93). The likelihood of having MetS was OR=0.28 (95% CI=0.18, 0.44) for active to highly active and 0.60 (0.43, 0.82) for low to somewhat-active compared to sedentary adults (p<0.0001). Adults who took more steps/day tended to have lower waist circumference, higher high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol level, and lower levels of triglycerides.ConclusionsAdults who maintain an active lifestyle by accumulating more steps are likely to have a lower prevalence of MetS and its individual CVD risk factors. Although other concomitant lifestyle behaviors may influence this lower prevalence, the evidence presented here on steps/day and metabolic syndrome, and elsewhere on physical activity and other health and disease states, suggest that it is a fundamental component of daily living.