Physical activity (e.g. exercise or cycling to work) and sedentary behaviours (e.g. TV viewing) are both implicated in the development of heart disease and premature mortality. Intermediate heart disease markers include blood pressure and the stiffness of blood vessels.
The interplay of lifestyle exposures and their pathways to disease are not fully understood but are likely to involve both direct and indirect influence on the cardiovascular system. The role of adiposity as a potential mediator of these relationships remains uncertain, as does the degree to which these relationships are consistent across socio-demographic variables.
The aim of the current cross-sectional investigation is to examine the separate and combined associations between physical activity and sedentary behaviours with markers of vascular function in the UK adult population. This will inform prevention strategies that tackle important contributors to heart disease and early death in the UK.
This project involves a cross-sectional analysis of baseline variables. We require access to data only (not samples) for the full cohort.