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Abstract P154: Leisure-Time Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, And Carotid Atherosclerosis Morphology: The ARIC Carotid-MRI Study


 Introduction:
 Studies suggest that greater physical activity (PA) may be associated with favorable carotid artery characteristics, while greater time spent in sedentary behavior (SB) may be a potential risk factor for atherosclerosis development and progression. We evaluated the association between leisure-time PA and SB in midlife and their temporal patterns with carotid atherosclerotic morphology measured by MRI.
 
 
 Methods:
 ARIC Carotid-MRI participants (n=1582, mean age: 53 years, 43% male, 18% Black) with self-reported assessments of PA and SB at visits 1 (1987-1989) and 3 (1993-1995), who participated in the Carotid MRI substudy in 2004-2006 were included. Self-reported leisure-time PA was categorized based on the American Heart Association’s Life Simple 7 categorization of ideal, intermediate, or poor PA. SB was ascertained based on participant report of how often they watched television during leisure-time, and categorized as low [“never”/ “seldom”], medium [“sometimes”], or high [“often”/“very often”]. To measure persistent PA and SB, we examined participants who reported the same level of PA (n=849) or SB (n=954) at both visits 1 and 3. Carotid MRI using a 1.5T scanner quantified internal carotid artery wall thickness, lipid core, and calcification measures. Weighted analyses accounted for the sampling design allowing for generalizability to the visit 1 ARIC population. Multivariable linear and logistic regression were used for continuous and categorical outcomes, respectively. All models were adjusted for demographic, behavioral, and lifestyle factors.
 
 
 Results:
 Though no clear trends were observed for PA, higher levels of SB were associated with a greater odds of lipid core presence and lower odds of calcification (Table). Similar trends were observed for the persistence analyses, though none were statistically significant.
 
 
 Conclusions:
 PA and SB may influence atherosclerotic plaque characteristics. SB and lack of PA may have different measurable effects on plaque morphology.
 
 
 
